


I’m Drowning

by TheHipsterSinner



Series: Essayer de Respirer [1]
Category: Undertale
Genre: And video games, Angst, Anxiety, Basically all the main Undertale characters are in this story, Crying, Depression, F/F, F/M, Just to make it clear, Low Self-Esteem, M/M, Nightmares, Oh and she can sing too, POV Second Person, Panic Attacks, Reader Has Magic?!?!, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader Needs a Hug, Reader is 13, Reader is depressed, Reader is named, Reader is temporarily mute, Reader likes books, She also sometimes curses, She would never curse aloud on purpose, She’s smart, Suicidal Reader, There’ll be some stuff going down, like a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 13:02:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 99,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14105967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHipsterSinner/pseuds/TheHipsterSinner
Summary: You’ve always tried to do the right thing. Yeah, that never helped. You still try to be a good person, though. But you know what they say: “Bad things happen to good people.” But, hey, it looks like your luck is finally changing.________________________________Act One: The Underground (Chapters 1-23)Act Two: The Surface (Chapters 25-?)Act Three: The Alternate Universes (Chapters ?-?)Updates are whenever, I guess.





	1. Beginnings Aren’t Always The Greatest

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story ever, so I hope you like it! Thanks for taking some time to read it! I don’t really have anything else to say. I’m pretty busy with school (I’m in my second year of uni, yaaaay!), so the days that I post stuff will be random, but it will be posted once a week. Thanks.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiking is dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this is the first chapter of the first story I’ve ever written, so I hope you like it! I’m in my second year of uni (yaaay, I know!), so I’ll only be able to post once a week, sometimes more, I’m not sure. Anyway, thanks for reading this!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_I think there’s a pattern in my life. It’s the phrase “It will be okay” or “It will all be fine”. Those words just keep on repeating themselves. Those empty words, falling off people’s tongues, the people that come across my path. I don’t think the people mean to lie. Some are just trying to comfort me, but I think that most of the people who said that meant it as the truth. So I don’t hate those people. But I just wish that for once, eve-_

_“Been traveling in packs that I can’t carry anymore, been waiting for somebody else to carry me.”_

You immediately reach your arm over to your phone, stopping your alarm before the song continues. Like every morning, your current favourite song plays as your alarm sound. Right now, it’s _Say_ _Amen (Saturday Night)_ by _Panic! At the Disco_ , but that’s always susceptible to changes. This morning, you woke up with tears streaming down your face. Strangely, you couldn’t remember the contents of your dream, though you feel like you can.

Weird.

Besides that, this morning has been like every other. As always, you wake up a couple minutes before your alarm goes off. Usually, you just start to get ready, but sometimes you allow your mind to drift off to... certain things, to say the least. 

Anyway.

You groan silently, standing up and fighting off the urge to lay back down and go back to sleep. You take a shower and make yourself look presentable. You straighten your mid-length brown hair and put on one of your favorite outfits: a blue shirt that reads _California_ in medium-sized black letters (it’s supposed to be ironic), classic blue jeans, and your black combat boots. After getting your clothes on, you put everything that’s necessary into your small, black backpack: Two granola bars, a water, your headphones, three hair-ties, and your pink sweatshirt that reads _Venice 1984 L.A._ in big, maroon letters (also ironic). You put the backpack on, grab your phone, and leave your room.

You join up with the other kids, standing silently as you all wait for the last couple of people to cone out of their rooms or just get here in general. Today is the day that you hike up the local mountain, Mt.Ebbot. It’s a monthly thing that the orphanage has been doing for years. It’s pretty messed up, since there are these rumours that surround the mountain. They’re about these kids who fell down this hole in the mountain and never came back. It’s sad, but some think that these kids are just missing, that they didn’t fall down and... well, die.

So it makes no sense why you, A KID, and many others who are around your age go up this mountain every month.

But besides that fact, it’s not all that bad. It gives everyone a chance to experience true nature in all its beauty. You really enjoy that. But not the part that’s happening right now, with you and the other kids just standing here, listening to the adults say the same things they always do. In summary, it’s that you shouldn’t run off and you should stay in the groups that they assign you. Like many of your fellow peers that have been here for as long as you have, you’re not listening to them. You have already taken out your headphones and are listening to one of your favorite Spotify playlists.

_Yay, music, something to block them out with._

Soon enough, you are all moved onto the buses, and you make your way to Mt.Ebbot.

  

***

 

You keep up with your group, looking around as you listen to your music. On the outside, you don’t really seem to care about anything, but on the inside, you have a huge smile on your face. Looking at all of the plants and animals is just nice. It’s a good escape from real life.

From all of your troubles.

You stop walking and stare at a humongous tree. You believe that it’s a Magnolia Tred. It’s extremely beautiful. Out of the top corner of your eye, you see a pair of Blue Jays taking off from one of the branches. Entranced, you turn and watch them fly away, until they become two small specs in the sky.

_Huh, wonder where they’re going._

You turn back around, ready to continue following your group, but all you see is the woods.

_Whoops._

You look around and realise that you unconsciously walked away from the Magnolia Tree, straying away from your group. Thankfully, it’s not really a problem for you. You’ve been up this mountain so many times, you remember all the different paths that everyone takes. You decide to take a shortcut through a big patch of clustered trees, so close together that only strands of sunlight here and there are visible. You walk slowly, careful to not trip over anything, but suddenly, you hear something. You stop walking right away.

“Hello?” A small voice whipsters out. The word sems to echo around you. You turn around, trying to find the source of the voice, but you can’t really see anything. Not even the silhouette of someone. You remain silent, wondering if the person, who sounds like a child, will say something else.

After a moment of silence, you hear footsteps everywhere. They become so loud that you cover your ears, but it’s no use. It’s almost as if the sound is inside your head. They abruptly come to a stop, allowing the sound of a single twig breaking to fill the air.

That’s when you run. 

 

*** 

 

You don’t know where you’re going, or even which direction you’re running in, but you do know that you should be running away from this person, or animal, you don’t know really know what they are. You had quickly shoved your phone and earbuds into your backpack before taking off, for you knew that the sound of your panting, heart racing, and backpack hitting your back with every step you take would fill your ears. The loudness of yourself leaves you to wonder if the person is following you. You take long steps and keep your arms in front of you, trying not to fall or run into anything. In front of you, you can see a big opening of light. You focus on that, but unfortunately, you trip on an unseen tree root.

“Ugh!” You grunt, barely catching yourself in time from falling face first. Sighing, you stand up, brushing off your jeans. You can already feel a slight bruising on both of your knees.

_Great._

On the bright side, you made it to the opening of light. Though, after looking a few feet in front of you, you stumble a bit backwards.

_Oh my god._

_It’s real._

In front of you is a huge hole that seems to go on forever. You get a little bit closer to it, examining it in shock. You never believed those stupid legends, you didn’t even think that the hole was real, but here it is. You attempt to regain your composure, but you can’t help but think about those poor children, the ones that might have actually fallen down this pit. You try to ignore it, but then, you can’t seem to ignore something else.

The feeling of someone watching you.

You look up to find two beads of red light that are peering out of the darkness of the trees. They almost seem like a pair of eyes. And then, you feel two hands on your back, pushing you. Before your feet leave the ground, you’re just barely able to turn around and try to find who just pushed you to what you believe is your ultimate death, but you see no one.

Absolutely nothing but trees.

As you fall, silent screams leave your mouth.

Everything then goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the first chapter of my very first story, so I hope you enjoyed it! It’s okay if you didn’t, I don’t usually like the first chapter of books. But, don’t worry, the next chapters will be better. By the way, each chapter title has the name of a song in it. The song mentioned this time is The Greatest by Raleigh Ritchie. Talk to you later, bye!


	2. Why Am I On This Lifeboat?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this real?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this chapter is just a small thing I wanted by itself. It’s actually one of the more important chapters, so don’t skip this, even though it’s short. Thanks!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_You open your eyes. You feel numb? Everything seems to be almost far away._

_You’re in a lifeboat._

_You can barely even look around. There’s nothing. Just the open sea._

_All you can feel is dread. You’re not sure why._

_You look over the side of the raft. Strangely, there’s no reflection. Not even the dark, stormy looking clouds above you don’t appear on the water._

_For some reason, you reach your hand out and put it in the water, reaching for something._

_You don’t know what._

_You feel a hand grab yours, and suddenly, you’re pulled into the water. You feel the lifeboat turn upside down as you push off from it. In the water, you can feel the salty liquid filling your lungs._

_You close your eyes._

You open them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Thanks for reading the second chapter! The song mentioned in the title is Lifeboat from the broadway musical Heathers.


	3. It’s A Brand New Day To Discover A New Species

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re so confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What’s this? Three updates in two consecutive days? Woooow! I have a bit of free time because I’ve been a little ahead of my work, so don’t expect this all the time.
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_Ugh, my head. What happened?_

You slowly sit up and run your hand through your hair, your head pounding. The only thing you can recall (and really, just barely) is the strange dream. Everything else is pretty much a blur. But, when you look up, it all comes back to you.

_Oh shit._

The opening of the hole seems extremely far away. Sunlight shines upon you. You feel completely unnerved by just thinking about the fall that you just experienced. It’s a wonder that you’re alive. And you don’t even seem to have any broken bones.

 _That’s_ insane.

As you place your hands on the ground, you realise that you are laying upon something soft. You look down to find small, golden flowers. Their yellow colour is certainly striking. You know that this species of flower has yet to be discovered, since you know that due to it’s beautiful colour, it would be all over Buzzfeed or at least Instagram.

_These flowers must’ve broken my fall._

The idea of these small plants breaking your fall seems impossible, but it’s the best explanation you have right now. Utterly confused about this whole situation, you sigh and look around. The light doesn’t reach far, causing you to once again be surrounded in darkness. To your right, you find your backpack, half in the darkness, half in the light.

You gasp loudly before grabbing it as fast as you can and opening it. You really hope that your phone isn’t broken.

_Thank god. Finally, something has gone my way._

You sigh in immense relief when you find your phone, which is in perfect condition. You had been smart enough in your moment of panic to shove it into your sweatshirt. You’re not sure if that helped it or not, but all that matters is that it’s not broken. You keep your phone in your hand as you close your backpack, put it back on, and stand up. As you walk into the darkness, ready to turn on the flashlight on your phone, you notice that it’s actually not that dark. It’s weird, but you’re still able to make out yourself (you had looked at your hand), and even the colours of your clothing. Once again, as confused as you are, you decide to just ignore it, putting your phone in your back pocket and slowly walking forward.

Silence fills your ears. The only noise present is your soft footsteps. You look around constantly, trying to see if there is any way out of here. You can’t really find anything. That is, until you spot a patch of grass a couple feet in front of you. You walk a little bit faster and stop when you are right in front of it. The small lawn is empty except for one single flower, which is just like the ones you landed on. Though, this flower is different. It’s, uh, you forgot, the face of it, you guess you could say, is kinda big. It’s hard for you to think straight right now. It’s, like, the part at the top that’s surrounded by petals. That part. It’s pretty big.

_Aw, why is this flower all by itself?_

“Howdy!”

You look around, frightened by the sudden voice. You see no one, but you know that you did not hear that voice in your head. You continue to look around, scared, when the voice says something else.

“Down here, silly!”

You had turned away from the flower, but, as a last resort, you turn back around and look down. You gasp quietly, taking a small step backwards.

_What._

_The._

_Fuck._

Now you know why this flower’s... face-thing was bigger than the others.

Cause it actually has a _fucking_ face.

It has two, small (light green, you don’t know, it’s like a dog’s, mainly black) eyes and a goofy smile on its face.

And you’re scared to death by it.

“I’m Flowey, Flowey the Flower!”

You can’t help but think about how stupid that name is.

You remain silent, even though you’re sure he (you guess it’s a he, maybe?) wants you to introduce yourself.

“One of the quiet types, huh? Well, that’s okay! But, hey, you’re new to the Underground, aren’tcha?”

_The Underground? Is that what this place is called?_

“Golly, you must be so confused!”

_OF COURSE I AM._

You shake your head yes.

“Someone ought to teach you how things work around here!”

_Wait, what? What does that even mean?!_

“I guess little old me will have to do.”

You’re about to shake your head no, but Flowey doesn’t really allow you to do anything. He quickly exclaims, “Ready? Here we go!” You then feel a slight tug on your chest.

_Woah._

You stare in awe at a heart-shaped object that has appeared before you. It seems magical, almost not even real. It’s a bright red, with small swirls of dark green that match the colour of your eyes.

“See that heart? That’s your soul, the very culmination of your being!” Flowey explains.

_Uh huh, yeah, that makes total sense, thanks, TALKING FLOWER._

“Your soul starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV.”

_LV? The hell? Like, as in Level? As in, the thing in video games?!_

“What’s LV stand for? Why, Love, of course!”

_Okay, I was wrong._

“You want some love, don’t you?”

You stand still, looking at the flower with a blank stare.

_I don’t think I want any love from you, sicko._

“Don’t worry. I’ll share some with you!”

_Uhhhhh... what._

Flowey winks (yeah, you know, he WINKS) as small... seeds, you guess, appear above him. Five in total.

You remain freaked out on the inside.

“Down here, love is shared through little white ‘friendliness pellets.’” Something about the way he said “friendliness pellets” makes you think that if he had arms and hands and fingers, he would’ve done air quotes whilst he said those two words.

You shift back a little bit.

“Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!”

The “friendliness pellets” slowly move towards you. Now, you know he said to try and get as many as you can but... you don’t know. You just sense something off about all of this. Something... wrong. So, you don’t try to get any of the pellets. You simply just step out of the way.

Flowey’s smile deteriorates a bit, his expression becoming a little annoyed.

“Hey, buddy. You missed them.” His voice lacks most of its past enthusiasm. You can feel your hands shaking the slightest bit, anxiety causing you to just about fear what might be coming next.

“Lets try again, ok?” The five “friendliness pellets” appear once again, and you do the same as you did before.

The smile is wiped completely off of Flowey’s face. His expression changes from slight annoyance, to almost full on anger. His expression matches his tone.

“Is this a joke? Are you brain dead?”

_Thanks for the compliment, jerk._

“RUN. INTO. THE. BULLETS!!!”

Your eyes widen.

“Uh, I mean, the friendliness pellets.”

 _Oh,_ hell _no, devil flower, I know what you meant._

Flowey’s smile returns, empty. The... bullets, you guess, come back, also. They’re much faster this time, though, causing you to almost get hit by one of them. Luckily, you managed to step out of the way just in time.

The creature stares at you for what feels like an eternity, but you’re sure it was only a couple of seconds. His eye sockets go black, his pupils becoming nothing more than two small, white dots. His mouth becomes a creepy smile, seemingly stringy.

“Y o u  k n o w  w h a t ‘ s  g o i n g  o n  h e r e ,  d o n ‘ t  y o u ?“ His voice is sickly sweet, with harsh tones of what appears to be pure rage. A deep voice seems to echo with his.

You shake your head no, taking a small step backwards.

He ignores your plea of innocence.

“Y o u  j u s t  w a n t e d  t o  s e e  m e  s u f f e r .”

About 50 of the bullet-things surround you. You spin around, surprised, looking for a way to move around them.

There isn’t.

“D i e .” He then laughs, sending shivers down your spine. He opens his mouth widely whilst he wickedly laughs, revealing a set of sharp teeth.

This whole situation feels like a nightmare to you.

The bullets begin to slowly close in on you. You can feel yourself wanting to throw up. You feel as if you’re about to die, from this monster and your own fear. You grab onto your hair, covering your face with your forearms.

 _No no_ no _! This_ can’t _be it,_ please _!_

You feel tears sting your eyes and your breaths quicken.

Out of the corner of your eye, you can see the bullets closing in. But suddenly, they stop. And they disappear. You let go of your hair and bring your arms away from your face, grabbing the straps of your backpack tightly. Flowey’s evil face goes away, a look of perplexity replacing his horrid, angry side.

You believe that he was about to say something, but he was interrupted by a fireball that sneaked out of the darkness and hit him straight on. Flowey cries out in pain before sinking into the ground, hiding from the new source of danger.

Who actually doesn’t look like any danger.

Another monster comes out of the darkness. She seems to be a sort of goat monster, with clean, white fur, and two small, light brown horns at the top of her head. She is very tall, at least 5’10”, and is wearing a dark purple dress with a white symbol on it and white, long sleeves. Her brown eyes appear to be saying a thousand words of kindness and protection, and her whole atmosphere is motherly, to say the least.

The last things you remember are her saying, “Oh, you poor child,” before gasping as she watches you fall backwards.

Darkness consumes you once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the third chapter, hope you liked it! Song mentioned in this title is Brand New Day, a song in this thing called Dr.Horrible’s Blogs. It features Neil Patrick Harris, and it’s extremely good. I’ll talk to you guys soon, bye!


	4. I Appreciate The Offer, But I Doubt That I’ll Be Staying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of nice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ughhhhhh, I’m so tired, but I couldn’t go to sleep without posting this chapter. Hope you enjoy it! By the way (yeah, you’ll be hearing “by the way” a lot, sorry), this chapter is extra long so I hope you’re ready to read this for a bit longer than you usually read my other chapters.
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_Ow, my back._

You slowly open your eyes, a dull pain from your back helping to awake you. You stare at your ceiling tiredly.

_Wait._

_This..._

_This is not my ceiling!_

You jerk up and look around the room you are in. It’s nothing like yours. You frantically try to think of how you got here when it suddenly comes back to you.

_That goat monster! She must have brought me here! I guess I fainted._

And after that thought, all at once, reality hits you like a freight train.

_Oh god. That means... this is real. That Flowey... the pellets... it was real, it was all real. It wasn’t supposed to be, this was just supposed to be a dream, or, rather, a nightmare!_

But it’s not.

You force myself to cope with the fact that monsters and magic are apparently real. Well, you don’t really cope with it, but you’re able to not have a panic attack about it, so... that’s a start.

You take a deep breath and look around the bedroom. A lamp in front of you dimly illuminates the area, allowing you to be able to examine your surroundings. The whole room appears to be fit for a young child. There are multiple toys and even a couple of cute drawings on the wall. Everything was a certain shade of pink, it seemed. On the ground next to the small bed that your were sitting on was your backpack. And, next to your backpack is a piece of pie on a white plate.

_What the...?_

You gently get off the bed and sit down on the floor. You pick up the note that’s laying next to the slice of pie.

 _My child,_  
_I have left you this piece of butterscotch-cinnamon pie in hopes that it will make you feel better. After the fall that you endured, I am worried that you might be a little hurt, so, if you are in any pain, I assure you that this will make you feel better. Welcome to your new home, my child._  
                              _Sincerely,  
                                Toriel_

You put the note down.

_Huh. That was nice of her to leave this note. And Toriel... what a pretty name._

But one thing really stood out to you.

_My new home?_

You just decide to believe that she meant your new temporary home. You look back at the pie that you are apparently encouraged to eat. You contemplate eating it. On one hand, this woman could have poisoned it or drugged it. Buuuuuut, on the other hand, if she were to kill you, she probably would’ve done it while you were unconscious. Plus, you’re really hungry, and those granola bars aren’t really going to cut it.

_Aw, screw it. If I die, at least I’ll die happy._

You hold the plate with your left hand as you hold the dessert with your right. You roll your eyes at your hesitation of eating it before taking a small bite out of the confection, careful to not get any crumbs on the ground.

_Oh._

_My._

_God._

_This is so good!_

Listen. You’re a thirteen-year old girl who exercises regularly (you’ve never had trouble when going up the mountain, also, this is why you were able to easily run away from that thing), and leads a healthy lifestyle: You eat fruit, vegetables, you’re not overweight (you’re actually in the lower percentile of the average weight for thirteen-year old girls... you looked it up). If you didn’t exercise so much (at least four times a week at a gym near the orphanage, they took a liking to you and decided to let you join), you would definitely be obese because you love food.

Like, a lot.

So that’s why you had a huge smile on your face when you bit into this pie slice.

You also love to bake.

Hints of butterscotch reside inside the pie, which was garnished appropriately with cinnamon. The two flavours meld together into a delightful sensation.

You greedily eat the rest of the slice, not thinking rationally about savouring it. And, surprisingly, the pain in your back goes away.

_Magic, perhaps? Magic is apparently real, so I have to keep that as an option._

After sighing due to the fact that you now consider magic as a possibility of something happening, you stand up and put the plate on the top of a dresser. It feels weird to not be able to wash it, but it’s not like you can walk out of the room with the plate and just wash it like everything is normal.

Because nothing is normal about this.

NOTHING.

So, you just leave it there. You pick up your backpack and set it on the bed. You take out your phone, and, wow, you almost forgot that it was in your pocket, and make sure that it’s not cracked. It’s not, thank God. You put it inside your backpack. You’re sure that it will be no use to have your phone on hand since you’re underground.

Or, _in_ the Underground? You’re not sure what to call it. That’s what Flowey said: The Underground.

Anyway, you just know that there’s no service, so it’s not like you would be able to call for help or anything. You decide to leave your backpack in the room, since you have no use for it right now. Plus, you don’t have any weapons, and this woman is, or at least seems, very nice.

You take a deep breath and walk to the door. Slowly, you grab the handle, push down, and make your way out into a hallway. The air is filled with the scent of butterscotch and cinnamon. To your left is two other doors and a mirror on the wall. The colours of the walls and the floor blend nicely. All of these things cause the atmosphere to scream one thing to you.

_Home._

This house just seems like a home that’s perfect for the nice family that lives in the suburbs.

It’s nice.

You turn to your right and walk slowly, looking around. To your right is a set of stairs that’s going down, and to your left... well, this is what intrigues you.

A pair of light purple doors.

A.K.A.: Your exit, most likely.

You make a mental note to remember that these doors are here.

You then look away and continue to walk forward. You make your way to what seems like a dining/living room. There’s a wooden table with freshly picked lilacs, a big chair in front of a fireplace, and multiple bookshelves. It’s all very comforting.

And, at the end of the dining/living room and to the right is the kitchen. On top of the countertop is a pie that has already been cut into.

_Well, now I know where the piece of pie came from._

And in front of the countertop is the goat woman, staring at pie, seeming to be contemplating something.

You have a feeling that it might be about you.

After a couple of seconds, she notices you.

“Oh! You’re awake! Are you feeling okay?” She asks, turning to face you.

You shake your head yes.

“Good!”

A moment of silence follows. You stare at the floor, shoving your hands into your pockets. Toriel soon breaks the quietness by sighing.

“He is such a horrible and cruel creature, torturing a poor, innocent youth such as yourself.”

You assume that she is talking about Flowey.

“Well, you needn’t fear anymore, my child. I am Toriel, as you may have already figured out from the note I left you. I am the caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through that place that I found you everyday to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come here in a long time.”

_Oh._

_The last child to go missing ran away in the early seventies._

_So I guess they really did come down here._

“Come! I have much to show you.”

She walks past you and, thinking that you really have no other choice but to listen her, you follow her. You quickly grab your backpack from the room, just in case you pick up anything of importance. You then walk out of the big set of doors, taking an immediate left turn down a walkway that is in front of a large, black tree. It takes the two of you about a minute to reach a room with a set of... pressure plates, you guess? Turning to your right, you notice that in front of the plates are a set of doors next to a lever on the wall. Toriel turns around to face you.

“Allow me to educate you in the operations of the Ruins.”

_The what?_

She steps on four of the pressure plates before pulling the lever on the wall, causing the doors to open.

“The Ruins are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them.”

_Puzzles? Why not just walk through that hall...way..._

You turn to your right to look back at the hallway you and Toriel just traveled through, only to find the same purple brick wall as all the walls, including the ones that were inside the walkway.

_Um. Never mind then._

You continue to follow her, listening to her as she teaches you about the many puzzles in the Ruins. At one point, she even teaches you how to “fight”.

Yeah, it’s not really fighting.

It’s just how sometimes other monsters may engage in a fight with you, so you should be nice and wave them off, or wait until Toriel resolves the problem. It was really weird and cool at the same time. When you were in a “fight” with a dummy (literally, a wooden dummy), a black box, along with your soul, appeared in front of me. Not a literal black box, more so a black rectangle that was paper thin, yet quite solid. In the top right corner of your eye, you saw _LV 1_ , causing you to think that you can somehow increase your... love, you guess.

Anyway, under the black rectangle were four smaller rectangles that read: _Fight_ , _Act_ , _Item_ , _Mercy_ , while the big black rectangle had statements about what was going on. It also read in the big rectangle that once you’re more experienced in fighting, all of this will go away, except for the _LV_ number, of course. You figured that once you’re in a couple more of these engagements, you’ll be experienced enough.

Though, you changed that belief once you chose _Act_ , and realised that you had to have the big rectangle in order to send messages (compliments, really) to your opponent; therefore, “more experience” meant “when you finally open that mouth and use those damn vocal chords.”

So, you don’t think those rectangles will be going away any time soon.

After trying to send it a message that asked how it was, the Dummy soon ended the fight. And, hey, Toriel smiled at you, seemingly proud about how you handled the situation. The big rectangle told you how much _XP_ and Gold, which you guess is the currency of the Underground, you got.

You got none of each.

Soon after that, Toriel allowed you to explore on your own, saying that she had to be somewhere. She gave you a phone that is very old. It’s most likely from the seventies.

You didn’t have the heart to show her your phone.

So, you allowed her to tell you about how you should use it if you need to reach her.

You also didn’t have the heart to try and show her how the phone is useless since you don’t talk.

After she left you, you encountered many other puzzles and monsters who were all very nice to you. One monster you met who stood out to you was a ghost named Napstablook, who was very sad, unfortunately. He was simply blocking your way, but you two were soon in a fight that did not last very long.

Yeah, he’s really sweet.

Also, after that fight and many others, you began to collect Gold! You soon found your way to a Spider Bake Sale. You got two doughnuts and donated fifteen pieces of Gold. As you walked away from the kind spiders, you ate one of the doughnuts.

It was extremely good, obviously.

You kept the other doughnut in the small box it came in, putting it in your backpack. You continued to meet many monsters until you soon made your way to the tree that is in front of the entry of the house. And, coincidentally, it was the same tree that Toriel was about to walk by. It seemed like she was about to call someone, but her eyes soon found you. She quickly walked up to you, putting her phone away.

“How did you get here my child? Are you hurt?” She asks, extremely worried.

You give her a small, reassuring smile and shake your head no.

“Oh, thank goodness. In any case, I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this.”

_Awwww, a surprise?_

Your eyes widen a little bit, along with your smile.

“Err...” She looks away, a little upset about ruining the surprise that she has planned for you. “Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small one.” You follow her into her house. She stops a few feet in front of the door.

“Do you smell that?” She asks you after you close the doors.

_Huh, I think it’s smells like that p-_

“Surprise! It’s a butterscotch-cinnamon pie!” She smiles sweetly.

_Aw, that’s so sweet! Figuratively and literally!_

“I thought we might celebrate your arrival! I want you to have a nice time living here.”

_There it is again, her saying that I’m going to live here. I don’t understand why she keeps saying that. I’m not going to live here._ _  
_

_..._

_Yeah, I’m not living here._

Unsure of what to do, you smile widely at her, hoping that she can understand the appreciation in your eyes.

“So, I will hold off on snail pie for tonight.”

_Uh. I won’t ask, but... I mean, hey, escargot seems cool, so... yeah._

“Here, I have another surprise for you.” You follow her to the door of the room that you woke up in.

“A room of your very own! I know you have already seen it, so I hope you already like it.” You both smile at each other. And, in her eyes, you see something comforting and warm. Something you haven’t seen in someone in quite a while.

It’s a shame that you’ll have to lose it.

Suddenly, Toriel’s smile goes from happy to nervous.

“Uh, is something burning? Make yourself at home!” She quickly walks away, probably into the kitchen.

You open the door and walk into the room. You would rather not call it your room. You don’t believe it to be yours.

After all, you don’t live here.

You do enjoy staying here, though. You sigh contently as you take off your backpack and put it on the bed. Unbeknownst of what you should be doing, you take this moment of free time to further explore the house. You leave the room, quietly closing the door behind you, and trying to decide what you should do. You already know that the two rooms to youd left are the master bedroom, which is Toriel’s room, and a guest bedroom.

What else would they be?

And you see no reason to examine the dining/living room and the kitchen. Though you would love to read those books that Toriel has on the bookshelves in the dining/living, you still have one place that you have not seen. You turn to the right and walk to the set of doors, looking in the opposite direction of them, for one thing has truly piqued your interest.

Where the set of stairs lead.

Toriel has not mentioned them, causing you to wonder where they go. You walk up to the top of the stairs, grabbing the railing with your left hand. Surely, the bottom of these stairs must be of some importance.

_I’m sure Toriel won’t mind me going downstairs._

You take a single step, nervous about the possibilities of the outcome of your exploration, when you are interrupted.

“My child!” You snap your head up, looking at Toriel, who had silently walked away from the kitchen and is standing in the entry way of the dining/living room.

She is more anxious than you.

“You mustn’t go down there. There are more interesting things up here. Why, come join me near the fireplace and I will read you my favorite book: _72 Uses For Snails_.” She smiles kindly at you. You give her a small smile in return and walk away from the stairs, joining her in the dining/living room. You pull up a chair from the table and set it next to Toriel’s chair. She grabs a book off of one of the bookshelves before sitting down, putting on a small pair of reading glasses.

“Before I begin, I would just like you to know how glad I am to have someone here. There are so many old books I want to share. I want to show you my favorite bug-hunting spot. I’ve also prepared a curriculum for your education.”

_Wow, she’s already planned everything._

“This may come as a surprise to you, but I’ve always wanted to be a teacher.”

_I believe that she would be the perfect teacher._

She looks away for a second.

“Actually, that isn’t very surprising.”

Yeah, you weren’t too surprised.

“Still, I am glad to have you living here.”

_Damn, with every word she says, more guilt consumes me._

You push those feelings down and smile at her. She smiles back and begins to read the book.

You never knew how snails could be used so recreationally.

You intently listen to her, but at one point, you believe at the fifty-fourth use of snails, your eyelids began to flutter. It felt as if they were as heavy as a ton of bricks. You didn’t want to be rude and interrupt her, but thankfully, Toriel noticed your fatigue.

“Oh, dear! I’m so sorry, my child! You have been through a very long, tiresome day. It is alright if you want to go to bed. I must encourage you to do so. Come along.” She stands up, putting the book away and taking off her glasses, setting them down on top of the bookshelves. Delicately, she takes your right hand with her left. You stand up, almost too tired to walk. She leads you to the room that you’re staying in, and as you walk, you glance over to the stairs.

 _I have to go down there._ _  
_

_I think it’s my way out of here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked the fourth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned in this title is Doubt by Twenty One Pilots.
> 
> P.S. I want to clarify that Toriel has healing magic, but she respects other people’s boundaries too much to use magic on them without asking. She would only do that in a case of an emergency.


	5. I’m Sorry For Being Young And A Menace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, Toriel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha, I’m never going to sleep, am I? Thank God Starbucks and my Keurig are my best friends. Here’s the fifth chapter of I’m Drowning, I hope you like it!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

You slowly open your eyes, slowly sitting up and stretching. You yawn as you take your phone out of your backpack and turn it on, immediately looking away and turning down the brightness. You rub your eyes in discomfort and look back at your phone. It’s 4 o’clock in the morning. 

Perfect.

You hadn’t set an alarm or anything, so you’re thankful to have woken up at an opportune time like this. You’re not sure why you woke up, but you’re not letting this chance go to waste. 

You have to know where those stairs lead. 

You put your phone back in your bag and look down at the ground at a piece of butterscotch-cinnamon pie. It has a small note next to it, just like last time. You sigh sadly and sit down on the floor, reading the note.

_My child,_

_Once you fell asleep, it occurred to me that you never ate any of the butterscotch-cinnamon pie that I made for you. So, I have left this piece here for you when you wake up. I hope you enjoy it as much as last time!_

_Sincerely,_

_Toriel_

You lay the note down, running a hand through your hair.

_She’s so nice. Am I really doing the right thing?_

_..._

_Yes, yes, of course I’m doing the right thing, I’m doing the thing that is needed. I can’t live in the Underground. I just can’t._

Since you're not hungry, you just get the box that has the Spider Donut in it and put the pie in with it. It fits, thankfully. 

And, you once again set the plate on top of the dresser. Last time, you forgot to pick up the note, but this time, you set it next to the plate. You turn back around and grab your backpack, putting it on. You then leave the room, silently opening and closing the door. You make your footsteps as quiet as possible, not wanting to disturb Toriel as she sleeps soundly. You walk to the stairs, stepping onto the first step anxiously. Questions run through your mind:  _Am I doing the right thing?_ _Should_ _I leave? Is there even going to be an exit at the bottom of these stairs?_

Well, for the last question, there’s only one way to find out. 

You take a deep breath in an attempt to calm your nerves, and you walk down the stairs. Once you make it to the end, you are slightly disappointed to not find an immediate exit. Instead, you find your way to a hallway yet again. This hallway is darker than the ones in the upper part of the Ruins, both with the lighting and the color of purple on the walls and ground. You can just barely see, and it’s especially hard to make out anything that is a couple feet in front of you. 

You decide to just slowly walk instead of taking out your phone and turning on its flashlight. But, soon enough, your steps silence, for a familiar purple in front of you stops you in your tracks.

_Toriel._

With her back turned towards you, she speaks softly and solemnly.

“You wish to return home, do you not?”

Unsure of what to do, you just stand there, your shaky breaths filling the air. Toriel takes your silence as no objection, so she continues to talk.

“Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the Underground.” 

_Woah, I_ was _right._

Her next words frighten you.

“I am going to destroy it.”

_Oh_ shit _,_ _what_ _?_

“No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs.” She walks away. Part of you wants to listen to her. Wants to abandon the option of going back above ground. Wants to live with this kind woman who actually cares for you.

But another part of you thinks reasonably, about how it would not be right to live and grow up here, to not get a proper education and to be separated from society, from your kind. 

So you follow her. Once you catch up to her, she stops.

“Every human that falls down here meets the same fate. I have seen it again and again.”

Seven times exactly, you presume. That is, after all, the number of kids that went missing.

“They come.”

“They leave.”

“They die.”

_Oh fuck, I didn’t even... I didn’t even realise that even though those kids survived the fall like me, there was no reason that they didn’t die during their time in the Underground._

“You naïve child... If you leave the Ruins... They... Asgore... Will kill you.”

The name doesn’t particularly strike fear in your heart, but it does cause you to wonder if this person is the same one who killed those children. 

And if they will be the same one who will want to kill you.

“I am only protecting you, do you understand?”

_I do understand, but I still cannot stay._

“...go to your room.” Her voice sounds desperate. 

She walks. You follow. She stops.

“Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning.” She walks around a corner, her stern words resonating in your mind.

You still follow her. She stops, this time in front of a set of purple doors. The marking on her dress matches the one on the doors, expect this one is black.

“You want to leave so badly? Hmph. You are just like the others. There is only one solution to this.” She turns around.

“Prove yourself. Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive.”

Your soul appears in front of you, along with the rectangles that say one thing.

_Toriel blocks the way._

_No! No, I-I am_ not _about to fight Toriel! I refuse!_

You immediately press mercy, then spare. 

It does nothing. 

Toriel is silent as she conjures up small fireballs, aiming them at you. You dodge them as quickly as you can. You look at her, hoping to see a glint of forgiveness in her eyes. But her face is a stone, her eyes emotionless. 

You have a feeling that talking won’t do anything this time.

You press spare again. She does the same, remaining quiet as she attacks. You dodge, cutting it close at some points.

_I don’t know how to get out of this. I am_ not _going to fight back, but I can’t keep dodging her attacks forever._

Your only plan is to keep on sparing her and to hope that she will see that you will be okay.

You spare. She does not speak. She attacks. You dodge.

You spare. Her expression changes a bit, almost as if she is confused about your tactic. She still attacks, though, and you still dodge.

You spare. She speaks.

“Attack or run away!”

_No, Toriel._

She attacks. You dodge. You spare. 

“What are you proving this way?”

_That I’m not going to die out there._

She attacks. You dodge. You spare.

“Fight me or leave!”

Attack. Dodge. Spare.

She stops talking. 

Attack. Dodge. Spare.

Silence.

Her attack is different this time. It doesn’t move towards you. If anything, it moves away from you. So, you don’t need to dodge. You spare.

Silence. Attack. No need to dodge. Spare. She talks again.

“Go away!”

Attack. No dodging. Spare. You look back at her and realise that her expression is pure sadness. She is looking away from you.

“I know you want to go home, but...”

She doesn’t attack. You spare.

“But please... go upstairs now.” She sounds desperate once again.

No attack. Spare. A small smile forms on her face.

“I promise I will take good care of you here.”

_I know that you would, Toriel._

_I’ve known that from the very beginning._

No attack. Spare.

“I know we do not have much, but...”

No attack. Spare.

“We can have a good life here.”

_I know._

Her smile fades.

“Why are you making this so difficult?”

You feel tears sting your eyes.

_I don’t... I don’t know. I don’t know why I should leave you. I don’t know why I can’t just stay here and live under your care. Your generosity has proved to me that you truly care for me._

_Toriel, I... I don’t mean to hurt you like this. But, I can’t stay, I know I can’t. I’m sorry._

_I’m so, so sorry._

You spare.

“Please, go upstairs.”

You refuse to allow your tears to fall. 

You spare.

Silence. 

You spare.

“Ha ha...” Her laugh, along with her small smile that has come back, is empty.

You spare.

She looks at you.

“Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child.”

You spare.

Silence. Her smile is gone once more.

You spare.

Her expression mixes from sadness to sadness and... understanding.

“No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped here. The Ruins are very small once you get used to them. It would not be right for you to grow up in a place like this.”

She does understand.

She looks at the ground.

“My expectations...”

“My loneliness...”

“My fear...” 

She looks back up at you.

“For you, my child... I will put them aside.” 

The rectangles and your soul go away. Toriel turns away from you, staring at the doors in front of her.

“If you truly wish to leave the Ruins... I will not stop you. However, when you leave... Please do not come back.”

What _?!_ Why _?!_

“I hope you understand.”

_I... I think I do._

She turns around and hugs you. You hug her back tightly.

_I will miss you_ so _much, Toriel._

She lets go of you, kindly looking at you with a kind smile on her face.

The word “kind” is used twice because that is how you would describe her.

Kind. And motherly. And nice. And sweet. And caring. 

“Goodbye, my child.” She walks away, going back to her home in the Ruins above. 

_Goodbye, Toriel._

You sniffle, your tears remaining in your eyes. You close them, taking a few deep breaths. 

You already miss her. 

You open your eyes again and walk up to the doors, opening one of them and walking through. It closes behind you as you run a hand through your hair. 

You then proceed to walk down another purple hallway. This hallway is different than the others, though. Not because it is brighter or a different shade of purple, but the purple colour of the floor becomes lighter every fifteen feet or so. You think that it represents going to a new location. After four new shades of purple, you walk through a pair of purple brick columns that are attached to the wall. The new area that you are in is very dark, just like the darkness of the place of where you fell.

Speaking of things that were in the place you fell, a familiar face awaits you on a small patch of bright, green glass.

_Flowey._

You take a few more steps and stop, wanting to keep your distance. You’re sure he understands your hesitance of getting near him. He is not mocking enthusiasm like before, but he is also not wearing the face of a true monster, though that is what he is.

You imagine this expression to be one of his actual expressions. His face is quite normal, with a smirk upon it. 

“Clever. Verrrryyy clever.”

_What._

Every time you speak to this flower, you feel nothing but confusion and fear.

The choice of just walking away and ignoring him is tempting (after all, ignorance is bliss), but you want to listen to what he has to say.

“You think you’re really smart, don’t you?”

_I don’t believe so, but I do perform quite well in school._

He becomes expressionless, his smirk becoming a haunting smile.

“In this world, it’s kill or be killed.” He looks away, almost cheekily. “So you were able to play by your own rules.” His tone is mocking.

_Jesus. Christ._

His face goes back to the empty eye sockets with two small, white pupils, and a frightful smile that is seemingly stringy. 

“You spared the life of a single person. Hee hee hee... I bet you feel  _really_  great.” His expression goes back to normal. “You didn’t kill anybody this time.” 

You don’t know why, but the words “this time” stand out to you. He could have just said, “You didn’t kill anybody.” So why add those two words?

“But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer?” Empty expression again. “You’ll die and you’ll die and you’ll die and you’ll die.” 

_Uh... I’ll die once, thank you very much, you little psycho._

Cheeky look.

“Until you tire of trying. What will you do then?” 

_Well, by your calculations, I’ll lay on the ground with no pulse._

His smile opens widely, the sharp teeth shown again.

“Will you kill out of frustration?”

_Hell no!_

“Or will you give up entire on this world... And let  _me_  inherit the power to control it?” Stringy smile.

_What the_ fuck _does that even mean?!_

You also wonder why and how he keeps on changing his expressions so quickly. Calm down, damn!

Haha, _yay_ , shark teeth is back.

“I am the prince of this world’s future. Don’t worry, my little monarch, my plan isn’t regicide.”

_Oh shit, there’s a_ king _here?!_

“This is  _so_  much more interesting.” He laughs before sinking back underground. You shiver. That laugh always fucks with you.

You’ll have to watch out for him.

You walk a bit faster than before, your eyes catching a set of purple columns and a pair of even darker, and quite large purple doors. Above the columns is the same marking that was on Toriel’s dress and that one pair of doors.

_Why is this symbol so popular?_

You are sure that your question, and hopefully many others, will be answered in time, but for now, you push on the door on the right side. 

_Don’t worry, Toriel. I’m not going to die._

_I’m ready (I hope) for whatever lies ahead._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the fifth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time is Young And Menace by Fall Out Boy. Talk to you soon! Well, maybe not immediately tomorrow or the next day, cause I’m tired. But soon, I promise.
> 
> P.S. I don’t know how many times I put this, but I do know that, a couple times, I put that the reader ran her hand through her hair. I just wanted to say that I did that because that is something that the reader does whenever she feels nervous and/or guilty. No, she doesn’t run her hands through her hair like a crazy person, but doing it once just helps her calm down a bit. She doesn’t really know why.


	6. I Love This Sweater Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You love jokes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo, I’m about to eat dinner, but I wanted to post this first. Hope you like it! I’ll most likely be able to post the next chapter very soon!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

The first thing you feel when you open the door is coldness stinging your face.

You take a deep breath, chill air flowing into your throat and lungs. Once you open the door far enough for you to fit between it and the other door, you are able to see snow beneath your feet. 

_Woah._

You let go of the door once you’re out of its way and allow it to close itself. Around you are dead trees that are skinny and tall. They are so close together that beyond the first row of trees visible to you, all you can see is darkness. The trees are on your left and right side, creating a walkway of snow. You set down your backpack and take out your sweatshirt, putting it on over your shirt. You immediately feel better. You do, though, love the cold. 

That’s why you love living in New York, after all. Well, that and all the shoppes and buildings and restaurants in the city. So many possibilities.

You put your backpack back on.

_Okay. Let’s go._

You begin to walk, looking around for any source of life. It’s extremely quiet. The only noise is the soft crunching of snow under your feet. You don’t mind the silence too much, though you do prefer noise. The quietness gives you a chance to be able to hear anyone that may be around. 

But for right now, that is not the case.

You walk up to a small twig that is on the ground. You stop walking to look at it.

_Huh, that’s odd. Why is it here by itself? And how did it get here? It’s perfect horizontal, so it’s not like it could have fallen from one of the trees._

You decide to ignore it, stepping over the branch and continuing to move. Though, once you start moving, you immediately stop again.

_Wait._

You look around, turning around and inspecting the trees.

_I feel like someone’s watching me._

You see no one. You turn back around, the absurdity of someone watching you causing you to think that you are merely paranoid. 

A snapping noise begs to differ.

You spin around on your heels so fast that you almost fall over. The branch, that is only a few feet in front of you, has been broken. And the only footprints to be found near the twig are your own.

So, you turn back around and walk a bit faster than before.

After about thirty seconds, you stop moving, making your way to the front of what seems to be a poorly made bridge that covers up a small gap. There are wooden poles above the bridge, causing you to wonder if they are meant to be bars. They are much too far apart to stop anyone. You are about to walk across the bridge and through the bars when you hear footsteps behind you. You stop moving.

Twenty footsteps.

You don’t know why you count them. You just don’t know what else to do. The person stops right behind you.

“H u m a n .” The voice is deep, with a mix of a Brooklyn accent and something else you don’t recognise.

“D o n ‘ t  y o u  k n o w  h o w  t o  g r e e t  a  n e w  p a l ?  T u r n  a r o u n d  a n d  s h a k e  m y  h a n d .”

_Uhhhhhhh, the fuck?! Why would he want to me to shake his goddamn_ hand _?!_

Your eyes widen in confusion as to what this man will possibly get if you shake his hand. 

_I’m not sure if I want to listen to him or not, but I_ do _know that I can’t stand here forever. And running away definitely isn’t an options, since he’s_ literally _right behind me._  

_Fuck it._  

You turn around quickly and, with your right hand, you grab the first hand you see.

_Pffffffffffft._

You let go of his hand, surprised. In his hand is a now empty whoopee cushion. 

_Uh._

And you don’t know whether it was your nerves or how you had overreacted about this man or if the stunt was truly funny, but you laughed. It wasn’t a big fit, but heat still rose to your face. Your laughter is true and full of amusement, which makes you remember that you have not had anyone make you laugh like this in a while. Once you stop laughing (you probably laughed for about ten to fifteen seconds), the man speaks.

“heheh... the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it’s _always_ funny.” You look up at the man. 

_Woah._

You had been so blinded by fear and laughter that you hadn’t realised what he looks like, or more so, what he is.

_A skeleton._  

His bones are a milky white, and on his face is a big smile, a small, upside down heart-shaped hole you assume is supposed to be a nose, and two empty eye sockets with two small, white pupils. They make you think of Flowey’s eyes, but for some reason, this skeleton’s eyes seem comforting, not creepy. He’s wearing a blue hoodie that is open to reveal a plain white undershirt. He is also wearing a pair of black basketball shorts and pink slippers. 

Yes, that’s right. _Pink. Slippers._

He’s about as tall as you, maybe an inch or two more. He puts his right hand back in his pocket in his hoodie and takes out his left hand.

“anyway, you’re a human, right?” 

_Isn’t obvious?_

You nod your head.

“that’s hilarious.”

You question his sense of humour. 

“i’m sans, sans the skeleton.” 

You stand silently, looking at the ground. You’re sure he is waiting for you to state your name.

“quiet type, huh? that’s ok.” 

You look back up at him and give him a small smile, thankful for his understanding.  

“i’m actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now.”

_Oh god,_ what _?!_  

“but...y’know... i don’t really care about capturing anybody.”

_Whew, thank god._  

“now my brother, papyrus... he’s a human-hunting _fanatic_.”

_Great._

“hey, actually, i think that’s him over there.” He nods to the direction behind you. You turn around, and in very far distance, you can see the silhouette of someone.

“i have an idea. go through this gate thingy.” You turn back around, raising an eyebrow at him. 

“yeah, go right through. my bro made the bars too wide to stop anyone.”

_Uhhhh, okay._

You turn around and walk across the bridge. Sans follows. You can see his brother a bit more clearly.

“quick, behind this conveniently-shaped lamp.” You turn to your left and, sure enough, there is a lamp that is just about your silhouette.

_Wow, that’s oddly uncanny. I guess I’ll do it._  

You quickly step behind the lamp, matching its position. You hear loud footsteps on the snow get close until they suddenly stop. Sans speaks first. 

“sup, bro?”

“YOU KNOW WHAT ‘SUP’, BROTHER!” His voice is loud, but not loud enough to be considered shouting. His voice is a bit higher than Sans’.

By the way, once again the nonexistent air quotes around a certain word (sup) strikes. 

“IT’S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T...”

“RECALIBRATED.”

“YOUR.”

“PUZZLES!” 

_Puzzles?_

“YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE YOUR STATION!”

_Woah, is Sans a procrastinator? Ha, how relatable._

With your back against the lamp, you notice a wooden object that appears to be a sentry station. Snow has settled on the roof of it. You guess that this is the station that Papyrus is talking about.

“WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!?”

“staring at this lamp. it’s really cool. do you wanna look?”

_Hey, don’t sell me out!!_  

“NO!! I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THAT!! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE?!? I WANT TO BE READY!!!”

You don’t dare to try and look at Papyrus. It is too dangerous to move out of the protection of the lamp.

“I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!” 

_Haha, that’s not intimidating at aaaallll._

“THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVE!”

“RESPECT...”

“RECOGNITION...”

“I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD!” 

_The Royal Guard?_

“PEOPLE WILL ASK TO BE MY ‘FRIEND’?” 

_Does he... does he not have many friends? That’s horrible._  

You begin to empathize with the louder skeleton. You would think that he’s a skeleton, at least. He is, after all, Sans’ brother.

Wait.

Is...

Is that racist?

You regret thinking that Papyrus is a skeleton, now.

“I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING!”

“hmmm... maybe this lamp will help you.”

_What’s your deal?!_

“SANS!! YOU ARE NOT HELPING!! YOU LAZYBONES!!”

_Oh wait, I get it. Sans is using reverse psychology. By bringing attention to the lamp that I am hiding behind, he irritates Papyrus more, causing him to think that the lamp is pointless._

_It’s_ ingenious _._

“ALL YOU DO IS SIT AROUND AND BOONDOGGLE! YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERYDAY!!!” 

“hey, take it easy. i’ve gotten a _ton_ of work done today.”

“a skele-ton.” 

You think that, in the distance, you hear a rimshot.

You slap a hand hand over your mouth, catching yourself from laughing aloud at his stupid pun.

“SANS!!!”

“come on. you’re smiling.”

“I AM AND I HATE IT!”

_Ha, aw._

Papyrus sighs in exasperation. 

“WHY DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME... HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION...”

“wow, sounds like you’re really working yourself...”

“down to the bone.”

Again, distant rimshot and you trying to not laugh.

“UGH!!! I WILL ATTEND TO MY PUZZLES... AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE _BACKBONE_ INTO IT!!!!” He then laughs a “NYEHEHE” laugh for a bit.

_Ha, these guys are great!_

You hear Papyrus walk away, but then he turns back, saying one more “HEH!” before leaving. You then hear him finally walking away. 

“ok, you can come out now.” Sans says after a few more seconds. You sigh and walk away from the lamp. You turn, your back towards Sans. The dead trees are still near, but you can see that up ahead, they stop. Evergreen trees with clumps of snow on them take the place of the dead trees. The dark green trees are beautiful. And, for a minute, everything is content and almost normal.

Almost.

“you oughta get going.” Sans breaks the silence. You turn around and face him. “he might come back. and if he does... you’ll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes.” He winks. You laugh, smiling at him and shaking your head. You begin to walk away, but he speaks again. You stop.

“actually, hey... hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor?” You turn around, interested in what this favor might be. “i was thinking... my brother’s been kind of down lately... he’s never seen a human before. and seeing you might just make his day.” 

_I, uh..._

“don’t worry, he’s not dangerous. even if he tries to be.” 

You look away, thinking. You just met Sans, so you have no reason to trust him. He did, though, protect you from Papyrus. He would most likely do it again. And by the way Papyrus talks, you’d have to believe Sans: He’s not dangerous.

_Okay, I’ll do it._

You look back up at Sans and nod. His smile grows a bit wider.

“thanks a million. i’ll be up ahead.” He then turns around and walks away.

_Huh?_  

You glance behind you.

_This is the way to go... though..._

Looking back in front of you, you see that Sans has somehow disappeared.

_Okaaaaaay._

You shrug and turn back around, walking away. 

_Nice to meet you, Sans and Papyrus._

_Oh my god, their names are fonts and they’re brothers!!! Is that a_ pun _?!_  

You laugh and groan all at one. 

_This will certainly be interesting._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the sixth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time is Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood. Talk to you very soon!
> 
> P.S. I’m pretty sure that in the game, Sans uses his left hand instead of his right hand for the handshake. But, I think that Sans is used to people not being left handed, and he most likely thinks that using your right hand in a handshake is more common, so that’s why he used his right hand.


	7. A Collar Full Of Puzzles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Puzzles are fun... kinda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey!!! Oof, I’m exhausted. Here’s Chapter 7, hope you like it! I’ve already started on the next chapter, so that should be out by tomorrow. Thanks, talk to you soon!!!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

Evergreen trees fill your vision, along with snow.

You hold on to the straps of your backpack as you slowly walk. There still really isn’t anyone around, but you do run into a few monsters who you fight and spare (you always spare). After about two minutes of just looking around and walking, you stop, seeing Sans and Papyrus who are a few feet in front of me. 

This is the first time that you have seen Papyrus. He is a skeleton. His stature is a lot like Toriel’s. He may be just a bit taller. His face is much thinner than Sans, but he still wears a smile. His eye sockets have no pupils, but since they were smaller than Sans’ eyesockets, it doesn’t seem strange. You would describe his clothes as battle gear. His shirt is white and small, but seems very dense, like armour. His shirt is short enough to reveal a small fraction of his spinal chord. His shorts are a dark blue, and seem to be made of the same material as his shirt. He sports a small, bright red scarf around his neck. The brilliant red color matches his (boxing?) gloves and his boots.

The two brothers face each other as they talk about someone, you think. You have just begun to hear their conversation.

This must be Sans’ plan. For Papyrus to conveniently see you. You hope you cheer him up, somehow. 

“SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE...” 

_Hm, wonder who that is._

Papyrus notices you, cutting himself off. He looks at Sans and Sans looks back at him. They repeatedly exchange looks until Papyrus speaks.

“SANS!! OH MY GOD!! IS THAT...” 

“A HUMAN!?!?!??!?!”

“uhhhh... actually, i think that’s a rock.” 

_What?_

You look behind you and, sure enough, there’s a rock. You look back at Sans, smiling a bit.

_What even._

“OH.” Papyrus is a little disappointed.

“hey, what’s that in  _front_  of the rock?”

_My god, Sans._

Papyrus looks at you.

“OH MY GOD!!!!!!”

“IS... IS THAT A HUMAN?” Papyrus whispers loudly.

“yes.” Sans whispers back.

“SANS! I FINALLY DID IT!!” No more whispering. 

“UNDYNE WILL...”

_Who is Undyne?!_

“I’M GONNA...”

“I’LL BE SO...” 

“POPULAR!!! POPULAR!!! POPULAR!!!” He is smiling widely.

_Aw._

“HUMAN! YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU!!! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN... THEN!!! I’M NOT SURE WHAT’S NEXT.” 

Sans better be right about Papyrus not being dangerous.

“IN ANY CASE! CONTINUE... ONLY IF YOU DARE!!!” He laughs and walks away. 

“well, that went well.” You look at him.

_Certainly did._

“and don’t sweat it, kid. i’ll keep an eye socket out for ya.” He winks and walks away.

_Thanks._

You walk in the direction that Sans and Papyrus did, encountering a few monsters. You soon run into Sans. 

“hey, here’s something important to remember. my brother has a very special attack.”

_The only reason you are going to tell me this is if I’m going to fight Papyrus soon, haha. ...I’m not going to do that, right?_  

To be honest, you won’t be surprised if you do. 

“if you see a blue attack, don’t move and it won’t hurt you.” 

_Oh, hey, I just experienced that with a dog monster._

“here’s an easy way to keep it in mind. imagine a stop sign. when you see a stop sign, you stop, right? stop signs are red. so imagine a blue stop sign instead.”

Okay, you’ll admit that it rhymes, but that is not very helpful. And plus, it’s not that hard to remember. 

“simple, right? when fighting, think about blue stop signs.” 

You smile, playfully rolling your eyes and walking away.

_Woah!_  

You gasp, suddenly sliding. You weren’t paying attention to how the snow has stopped for a moment and has been covered with ice. 

It reminds you of ice skating. You love to do that. 

To stop, you grab on to a small wooden sign that is in the center of the ice. Once you stop moving, you read what’s on the sign. 

_North: Ice_

_South: Ice_

_West: Ice_

_East: Snowdin Town (...and ice)_  

_Huh, good to know._

In front of you, you can see a snowman, you think. You push off from the sign, sliding on the ice until you make your way back onto the snow. You walk up to the snowman.

He is very cute and quaint. His eyes are two small, black buttons, his nose is a carrot, his smile is small coals, and he has three big, black buttons on. 

“Hello. I am a snowman. I want to see the world... but I cannot move. If you could be so kind, traveller, please... take a piece of me and bring it very far away.”

You smile sweetly and nod your head.

“Thank you... good luck!” You reach towards him and grab a small piece off of the top of his torso. You hold that in one hand as you take off your backpack. You continue to hold the piece of the nice snowman whilst you open your backpack and make room for the piece. You put it at the very bottom, keeping it away from your phone and headphones. You’re sure he won’t melt, but ice itself can harm the technology.

You also keep it away from the phone that Toriel gave you.

A pang of misery hits you as you think of her, but you try to push it aside. You close your backpack, put it back on, and wave goodbye to the snowman. 

You begin to walk East, towards the town called Snowdin. You soon stop, though, once you notice Sans and Papyrus, who are about twenty to thirty feet in front of you and just talking.

“YOU’RE SO LAZY!! YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!!”

“i think that’s called... sleeping.”

_These guys are a riot._

“EXCUSES, EXCUSES!” Papyrus is the first to notice you. He turns and faces you, Sans then doing the same.

“OH-HO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES! IN ORDER TO STOP YOU, MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES! I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE... QUITE  _SHOCKING_!!!” 

He puts emphasis on the word “shocking”, causing you to believe that he just made a joke about what your first puzzle will be.

“FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE... ELECTRICITY MAZE!!!”

_I knew it._

“WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE, THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP! SOUND LIKE FUN???

_No._

“BECAUSE, THE AMOUNT OF FUN THAT YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE IS ACTUALLY RATHER SMALL, I THINK.”

_Well, at least he understands._

“OK, YOU CAN GO AHEAD NOW.”

You stand still for a second.

_Papyrus is holding the orb, so for this to work, shouldn’t_ I _be the one who is holding it?_

He accidentally reaches his hand out a bit too far, getting zapped. He retrieves his hand immediately, yelping in surprise and pain. He turns to Sans, upset.

“SANS!!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!”

“i think the human has to hold the orb.”

“OH, OKAY.”

He goes to the very left part of the ground and walks towards you, taking a few turns methodically. Obviously, he has remembered the path to go for the maze.

But what he doesn’t know is that his footprints trail in the snow. 

“HOLD THIS PLEASE!” He hands you the orb and you take it. He turns back around and walks the same path.

“OKAY, TRY NOW!”

_Uh, okay._

You follow Papyrus’ footprints slowly, trying to look like you were pretty confused and you were just getting lucky. You walk in front of Papyrus, out of the maze.

“INCREDIBLE!! YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL!!” Papyrus is apparently astounded by your puzzle skills. “YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY! HOWEVER, THE NEXT PUZZLE WILL BE NOT EASY! IT IS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SANS! YOU WILL SURELY BE CONFOUNDED! I KNOW I AM!” He laughs and walks away.

Not sure of what to do with it, you set the orb down in the snow next to Papyrus’s footprints. 

_I wonder how many other puzzles I will have to do._

Apparently, many.

You walk away, running into many monsters. Some you fight, some you simply talk to, or you even buy things from them. You continue to solve the puzzles made by Papyrus, trying to make it look like you were struggling.

Well, one was made by Sans.

Some of the puzzles weren’t even puzzles.

Such as the one made by Sans.

It was literally just a piece of paper on the ground that had a word search on it. And, there was one that was literally a plate of spaghetti on a table. Apparently, it was supposed to be a trap set by Papyrus to distract you, but the spaghetti was frozen solid, so you didn’t eat any of it.

But Papyrus saw that as you not wanting to eat it because you wanted to share it with him. He was very touched by that.

Also, some of his puzzles didn’t even work. One of them was extremely complicated, and then it ended up being simple and basically allowing you to walk over it. At first, Papyrus had said that the puzzle was made by a Dr. Alphys.

Something tells you that they had something to do with the puzzle not working.

Before you‘re able to get the last puzzle, which (spoiler alert!) ended up not working, you run into Sans. You smile and wave at him, assuming that he is just waiting for you to arrive at Papyrus’s next puzzle and didn’t want to talk, but he dowes.

“hey, kid, wait.” 

You stop walking and turn around, looking at him.

“i just wanted to say that i appreciate what you’re doing.”

You wave him off and smile.

_It’s no problem, really._

“both that you’re playing along with papyrus and that you’re pretending to not get the puzzles.”

You freeze. 

_Does Sans really know what I am doing? I didn’t realise that he paid that much attention._

You act confused.

“you don’t have to lie to me. whenever you see one of his puzzles, i can tell that you figure out the answer immediately. but you make it look like you’re having a hard time so that papyrus will be happy. i know that his puzzles aren’t the hardest, so, uh, thanks.”

You shrug your shoulders, smiling at him before walking away to Papyrus’s next puzzle, which you come across as you are on a bridge. Papyrus and Sans stank on the ground in front of the end of the bridge. Papyrus appears to be holding a remote with a red button. 

“HUMAN! THIS IS YOUR FINAL AND MOST DANGEROUS CHALLENGE! BEHOLD! THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!” On cue, six things on your left (a ball with spikes, a spear, and a cute, white Pomeranian) and your right (a lit torch, a spear, and a cannon) appear. They are all being hung by rope. You don’t even know how it is possible, but it is.

“WHEN I SAY THE WORD, IT WILL FULLY ACTIVATE!!! CANNONS WILL FIRE! SPIKES WILL SWING! BLADES WILL SLICE! EACH PART WILL SWING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN! ONLY THE TINIEST CHANCE OF VICTORY WILL REMAIN!!!”

Okay, yes, you will admit that all of the trials that Papyrus had made you endure were extremely easy and simple. But this one is different. It actually seems to stand a chance at... well, hurting you.

So, you are a little afraid.

“ARE YOU READY?! BECAUSE! I! AM! ABOUT! TO DO IT!” He presses the button.

...

Nothing happens.

“well? what’s the holdup?”

“HOLDUP!? WHAT HOLDUP!? I’M... I’M ABOUT TO ACTIVATE IT NOW!” He presses the button again.

Still, nothing happens.

“that, uh, doesn’t look very activated.”

“WELL!!! THIS CHALLENGE!!! IT SEEMS... MAYBE... TO EASY TO DEFEAT THE HUMAN WITH.” It feels like he just came up with that on the spot.

“YEAH! WE CAN’T USE THIS ONE!!! I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS!!! MY PUZZLES ARE VERY FAIR! AND MY TRAPS ARE EXPERTLY COOKED! BUT THIS METHOD IS TOO DIRECT! NO CLASS AT ALL! AWAY IT GOES!” The weapons, including the dog, go away. 

“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?” He aska you. “THIS WAS ANOTHER DECISIVE VICTORY FOR PAPYRUS!! NYEH!! HEH... HEH???” He wall’s away.

You sigh, a bit relieved that this puzzle didn’t work. You finish crossing the bridge and continue to move forward, stopping in front of a large sign that reads: _Welcome To Snowdin_. It has Christmas lights on it.

_Well, at least I know where I am now._

In front of you are multiple buildings, which you presume are shoppes and houses, and people. It’s all very cozy. You walk slowly, talking to a few monsters.

All of these monsters are so nice.

You’ll try and talk to everyone later. And go into all the stores, but right now, you’re exploring what exactly is in Snowdin. Once you get to what you believe is the end of it (to your left are trees and a river and to your right is just the river), a weird fog picks up. You continue to walk until the fog gets too thick that you can barely see. You’re about to turn back, but, a couple of feet in front of you, you see the silhouette of someone.

_Papyrus._

“HUMAN. ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS.”

_Um, sure._

“FEELINGS LIKE... THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER. THE ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER’S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS. THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL. THESE FEELINGS... THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!!!”

_Haha, of course, Papyrus._

“I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY. AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT. I DON’T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE.”

_Aw, Papyrus..._

“I PITY YOU, LONELY HUMAN. WORRY NOT!!! YOU SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR...”

...

He stops talking.

_My friend?_  

“NO... NO, THIS IS ALL WRONG! I CAN’T BE YOUR FRIEND!!!” 

You look down, sad about what he just said. 

“YOU ARE A HUMAN! I MUST CAPTURE YOU!!!”

_I understand..._  

“THEN, I CAN FULFIL MY LIFELONG DREAM!!! POWERFUL! POPULAR! PRESTIGIOUS!!! THAT’S PAPYRUS!!! THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE ROUAL GUARD!”

Your soul appears. The fog thins and disappears. The black rectangles appear. 

_Papyrus blocks the way!_

_Goddammit!_  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading Chapter 7 of I’m Drowning! Hope you enjoyed it! The song mentioned this time is Collar Full by Panic! At The Disco. Talk to you tomorrow, hopefully, bye!!


	8. I Walk The Line Between Fighting And Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fighting and dating in one day? With the same person?! Damn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, I hate myself so much. I’m so sorry. I had to cover for one of my coworkers at work, and then I was almost done with the chapter and then it got deleted. I’m so sorry. But, hey, at least it’s here now! I hope you like it, I’m really excited to write the next few chapters. Talk to you soon, hopefully!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

Your soul appears in front of you, along with the black rectangles. 

_Papyrus blocks the way!_  

_No! I don’t want to fight Papyrus!_

You immediately choose act, wanting to see if you can talk your way out of this. Your only options are to insult and flirt. You obviously don’t want to insult Papyrus, so you decide to flirt with him.

“WHAT!? FL-FLIRTING!? SO YOU FINALLY REVEAL YOUR ULTIMATE FEELINGS! W-WELL! I'M A SKELETON WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS!!!”

The text on the black rectangle changes, giving you two options once more. 

_I can make spaghetti_

Or

_I have zero redeeming qualities_

You more so relate to the second one about you not being skilful, but you can make pasta. So, you choose the first one.

“OH NO!!! YOU'RE MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS!!! I GUESS THIS MEANS I HAVE TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU...? LET'S DATE L-LATER!! AFTER I CAPTURE YOU!”

_Oh, jeez, okay._

He then does a bone attack. Bones move towards you slowly, allowing you to easily dodge them.

You go back to the talking options and choose flirt again, but he just repeats that you two should date later, after he captures you. 

It seems like talking won’t do anything.

You dodge one of his simple attacks again. 

_Maybe this won’t be too hard._

With no options of talking your way out of this left, you result to attempting to spare him.

“SO YOU WON'T FIGHT...”

_Of course not, Papyrus._

“THEN, LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN HANDLE MY FABLED ‘BLUE ATTACK’!" 

Light, luminescent blue bones come towards you. Remembering to stop moving (stupid blue stop signs), you stand still and allow the bones to move through you. 

It’s a weird sensation to have something pass through you.

A moment of nothingness passes when, suddenly, you feel something pull you to the ground. It’s like gravity wanted you more than ever at that moment. Your knees buckle under you and your eyes widen as you look at your soul, which now has an outline of a dark blue. 

_What the hell?!_

“YOU'RE BLUE NOW. THAT'S MY ATTACK!” He laughs.

You get up slowly, struggling a bit to stay balanced and not fall back onto the ground. Your feet are heavy as you dodge the attack from Papyrus after you spare him.

 _Okay, now this is actually getting difficult._  

You spare.

“HMMM... I WONDER WHAT I SHOULD WEAR...” 

_Is he talking about...?_

“WHAT!? I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT DATE THING!!”

_Um, okay, Papyrus._

You dodge. You spare. 

“YEAH! DON'T MAKE ME USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK!”

_Special attack? Maybe if he uses his special attack, he’ll be too tired to fight any longer._

You dodge. You spare. 

“I CAN ALMOST TASTE MY FUTURE POPULARITY!!!” 

You dodge. You spare.

“PAPYRUS: HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD!”

You dodge. You spare.

“PAPYRUS: UNPARALLELED SPAGETTORE!”

You dodge. You spare.

“UNDYNE WILL BE REALLY PROUD OF ME!!”

Dodge. Spare.

“THE KING WILL TRIM A HEDGE IN THE SHAPE OF MY SMILE!!!”

Dodge. Spare.

“MY BROTHER WILL... WELL, HE WON'T CHANGE VERY MUCH”

Dodge. Spare.

“I'LL HAVE LOTS OF ADMIRERS!!!”

Dodge. Spare.

“BUT... WILL ANYONE LIKE ME AS SINCERELY AS YOU?”

_Aw, Papyrus..._

Dodge. Spare. 

“SOMEONE LIKE YOU IS REALLY RARE...”

_There will always be better people than me, but everyone is one of a kind, including me._   _So, let’s stop!_

Dodge. Spare.

“AND DATING MIGHT BE KIND OF HARD...”

_You think_ _?!_

Dodge. Spare

“AFTER YOU'RE CAPTURED AND SENT AWAY.”

Dodge. Spare.

“URGH... WHO CARES! GIVE UP!!”

_Never._

Dodge. Spare.

“GIVE UP OR FACE MY SPECIAL ATTACK!!!”

_Fine. As long as we end this once you do that._

Dodge. Spare.

“YEAH!!! VERY SOON I WILL USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK!”

Dodge. Spare. Your breaths start to quicken. You begin to feel tired.

“NOT TOO LONG AND I WILL USE THAT SPECIAL ATTACK!!!”

_Ugh, use it already, please!_

Dodge. Spare.

“THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE... BEFORE MY SPECIAL ATTACK!!”

_Thank god._

Dodge. Spare. 

“BEHOLD...! MY SPECIAL ATTACK!”

_Here we go._

You look around, preparing yourself for the extreme attack that is about to come your way. 

...

And yet, nothing.

... 

_Wait, what?_  

You notice that in front of you is one of the small, white Pomeranians. It appears to be laying down whilst happily chewing on a bone. 

This upsets Papyrus.

“WHAT THE HECK! THAT'S MY SPECIAL ATTACK!”

_Oh no._

“HEY! YOU STUPID DOG! DO YOU HEAR ME!? STOP MUNCHING ON THAT BONE!!!”

The dog begins to get up and slowly walk away.

“HEY!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! COME BACK HERE WITH MY SPECIAL ATTACK!!!”

The dog runs past you, back to Snowdin. Papyrus sighs.

“...OH WELL. I'LL JUST USE A REALLY COOL REGULAR ATTACK.”

Though Papyrus is upset, you’re grateful for what just happened, for it gave you a chance to catch your breath. 

But it doesn’t last for long.

Papyrus calls on his next attack, and even though it’s not his special attack, it is definitely harder that his other ones. The bones get taller, and you feel like the attack lasted forever. By the time it ended, you were panting heavily and were ready to collapse onto the ground.

Papyrus seems to kinda feel the same way.

“WELL...! IT'S CLEAR... YOU CAN'T! DEFEAT ME!!!” He pauses twice to try and catch his breath.

_Okay, sure Papyrus, if that means what I think it means._

“YEAH!!! I CAN SEE YOU SHAKING IN YOUR BOOTS!!! THEREFORE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ELECT TO GRANT YOU PITY!! I WILL SPARE YOU, HUMAN!!! NOW'S YOUR CHANCE TO ACCEPT MY MERCY.”

_Yes!! Oh my god, thank god!_

You immediately accept Papyrus’ mercy. The rectangles go away, along with your soul, which goes back to its regular colour before disappearing. Your knees buckle under you (twice in, like, one hour!) as you attempt to control your breathing. 

“NYOO HOO HOO...”

You look up, surprised by Papyrus’ sudden cry. His back is turned towards you.

“I CAN'T EVEN STOP SOMEONE AS WEAK AS YOU...”

_I mean, I won’t argue with the weak part, but I was close to giving up there._

“UNDYNE'S GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN ME.”

_Seriously, who is this Undyne?! And no, they won’t be disappointed in you, they’ll understand!_

“I'LL NEVER JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD... AND...”

_You may still be able to join it!_  

“MY FRIEND QUANTITY WILL REMAIN STAGNANT!”

_Aw, Papyrus._

An idea pops into your head about how to make him feel better. 

You get up, your breathing and heartbeat finally slowing down. You walk over to Papyrus and tap him on the back. He turns around, a bit confused. You put your right hand over your chest and mouth the word “friend” to him. He smiles widely.

“REALLY!? YOU WANT TO BE FRIENDS, WITH ME???”

You nod.

“WELL THEN... I GUESS... I GUESS I CAN MAKE AN ALLOWANCE FOR YOU!”

You smile at him.

_“_ WOWIE!! WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD OUR FIRST DATE... AND I'VE ALREADY MANAGED TO HIT THE FRIEND ZONE!!”

_Oh, I forgot about that date._

“WHO KNEW THAT ALL I NEEDED TO MAKE PALS WAS TO GIVE PEOPLE AWFUL PUZZLES AND THEN FIGHT THEM??”

_Um, sure Papyrus._

“YOU TAUGHT ME A LOT, HUMAN. I HEREBY GRANT YOU PERMISSION TO PASS THROUGH!”

Now that you and Papyrus have stopped fighting, the fog has cleared all the way (it had cleared a bit once you started fighting Papyrus), allowing you to see that Papyrus was, in fact, blocking the way to another part of the Underground.

“AND I'LL GIVE YOU DIRECTIONS TO THE SURFACE. CONTINUE FORWARD UNTIL YOU REACH THE END OF THE CAVERN. THEN, WHEN YOU REACH THE CAPITAL, CROSS THE BARRIER.”

_Woah, the Capital? And the Barrier?_

“THAT'S THE MAGICAL SEAL TRAPPING US ALL UNDERGROUND. ANYTHING CAN ENTER THROUGH IT, BUT NOTHING CAN EXIT...” 

_Holy shit. I mean, I had thought that there was a possibility that monsters are trapped down here, but I had hoped that there was a different reason. Like, if they didn’t want to leave or something. Anything._

_But to know that they’re trapped... that’s just fucked up. Especially since all of these monsters have been so nice!_

“...EXCEPT SOMEONE WITH A POWERFUL SOUL, LIKE YOU!”

_Aw, thanks, Papyrus._

“THAT'S WHY THE KING WANT TO ACQUIRE A HUMAN. HE WANTS TO OPEN THE BARRIER WITH SOUL POWER. THEN US MONSTERS CAN RETURN TO THE SURFACE!”

_I hope that acquiring a human doesn’t mean killing one. If it doesn’t, then I’ll do everything I can to help the King break the barrier._  

“OH, I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU. TO REACH THE EXIT, YOU WILL HAVE TO PASS THROUGH THE KING'S CASTLE.”

“THE KING OF ALL MONSTERS...” 

“HE IS...”

“...WELL...” 

_What, is he super evil or something?!_

“HE'S A BIG FUZZY PUSHOVER!!! EVERYBODY LOVES THAT GUY.”

_Oh, thank god._

“I AM CERTAIN IF YOU JUST SAY, ‘EXCUSE ME, MR. DREEMURR, CAN I PLEASE GO HOME?’, HE'LL GUIDE YOU RIGHT TO THE BARRIER HIMSELF!” 

_I hope that it will be that easy._

“ANYWAY!!! THAT'S ENOUGH TALKING!!! I'LL BE AT HOME BEING A COOL FRIEND! FEEL FREE TO COME BY AND HAVE THAT DATE!” 

He walks past you, to what you figure is his house. In front of you is the next section of the Underground, but you think that you should go have that date with Papyrus first.

Plus, you’re not sure if you want to leave Snowdin just yet.

So, you go and have that date with Papyrus. You’re not sure what you were expecting, but it certainly wasn’t what happened.

Basically, you two had the date at his and Sans’s house, in Papyrus’s bedroom (which was pretty cool by the way, it had a computer, a black flag with a skull and crossbones, and a red race car bed!). The black rectangles appeared, but, thankfully, this was nothing like a fight. Papyrus thought you were great at dating, and that you had planned to go on a date with him from when you first met him. 

That wasn’t true.

But, Papyrus thought it was, so he tried to prove that he was the best at dating. Though, after complimenting him and trying his spaghetti, which wasn’t very good but, thankfully, you can feign happiness, he thought that you liked him. In the end, he thought that you were madly in love with him, and that everything you do is for his sake. He then said that he wants you to be happy, and that he wants to express his true feelings. 

“I, PAPYRUS... I... UM...” He seemed nervous. “BOY, IS IT HOT IN HERE, OR IS IT JUST ME??”

“...” 

“OH, SHOOT. HUMAN, I... I’M SORRY.” 

_Does this mean...?_

“I DON’T LIKE YOU THE WAY YOU LIKE ME. ROMANTICALLY, I MEAN.” 

_Yes! I like you Papyrus, but I don’t love you!_

“I MEAN, I TRIED VERY HARD TO! I THOUGHT THAT BECAUSE YOU FLIRTED WITH ME, THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO ON A DATE WITH YOU! THEN, ON THE DATE, FEELINGS WOULD BLOSSOM FORTH!!! I WOULD BE ABLE TO MATCH YOUR PASSION FOR ME!”

_Aw, Papyrus, that’s not how it works._

“BUT ALAS, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE FAILED.”

_No you didn’t!_

“I FEEL JUST THE SAME AS BEFORE. AND INSTEAD, BY DATING YOU, I HAVE ONLY DRAWN YOU DEEPER INTO YOUR INTENSE LOVE FOR ME!”

Still not true.

“A DARK PRISON OF PASSION, WITH NO ESCAPE. HOW COULD I HAVE DONE THIS TO MY DEAR FRIEND...?” You feel bad for Papyrus feeling so guilty.

“...”

“NO! WAIT! THAT’S WRONG!”

_Hell yeah it is!_

“I CAN’T FAIL AT ANYTHING!!!”

_No you cannot!_

“HUMAN! I’LL HELP YOU THROUGH THESE TRYING TIMES! I’LL KEEP BEING YOUR COOL FRIEND! AND ACT LIKE THIS ALL NEVER HAPPENED. AFTER ALL, YOU ARE VERY GREAT. IT WOULD BE TRAGIC TO LOSE YOUR FRIENDSHIP.”

_Thank you, Papyrus._

“SO, PLEASE, DON’T CRY BECAUSE I  WON’T KISS YOU. BECAUSE, I DON’T EVEN HAVE LIPS.”

_Um, true, I guess._

“AND HEY, SOMEDAY, YOU’LL FIND SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME. WELL, NO, THAT’S NOT TRUE. BUT I’LL HELP YOU SETTLE FOR SECOND BEST!!!” He laughs.

_Ha, of course, Papyrus._

“OH, AND IF YOU EVER NEED TO REACH ME, HERE’S MY PHONE NUMBER.” He hands you a small piece of paper with what you assume to be his phone number on it.

“YOU CAN CALL ME AT ANY TIME! PLATONICALLY. WELL, GOTTA GO!” He laughs and walks away. You find it strange that he would leave his own bedroom, but no matter. You put Papyrus’ phone number in your pocket and exit his bedroom, and then his house. You don’t want to leave Snowdin yet since you haven’t been able to walk around and truly explore it, but you’re so tired from that fight that you need to rest. You remember seeing an inn at the beginning of town. You begin to walk that way, but Papyrus is just standing outside his house, so he approaches you.

“HELLO, HUMAN!” 

You wave “hi” to him.

“WHERE ARE YOU OFF TO?” 

You point towards the Inn on the other side of town.

“YOU’RE GOING TO STAY AT THE INN?”

You nod.

“NONSENSE!”

_Hm?_

“WHY STAY AT THE INN WHEN YOU CAN STAY AT YOUR GOOD FRIEND’S HOUSE?!”

_Uh, what?_

“IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE FUN! ALMOST LIKE A SLEEPOVER!” 

“yeah, c’mon, kid. you can stay here.” You gasp a little bit, noticing Sans, who is right next to Papyrus.

_What the...? Has he been here this whole time?!_  

Feeling a little pressured by not wanting to let them down, you smile and nod. 

“YAY! NOW, I MUST GIVE YOU A PROPER TOUR OF THE HOUSE!” He grabs your hand, a huge smile on his face. He leads you back into the house, with Sans right behind the two of you.

_Hey, this might be fun._   

_I hope._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading Chapter 8 of I’m Drowning! Hope you enjoyed it! The song mentioned in this chapter is I Walk The Line by Halsey. Thanks again, talk to you soon!


	9. My Nightmares Will Always Find Their Way Back To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have mixed emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I’m sorry. I haven’t updated in TWO FREAKING WEEKS. I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been super busy with school, and I have exams coming up that I need to study for. Plus, this was the first chapter, really, where I part from the storyline of the game and add in my own version, so I was worried about it and stuff. I also got writer’s block a little, but I’m getting better. I’m sorry, again. I hope for the next chapter to come out soon. I hope you understand, if you do, thanks! Talk to you later!
> 
>  
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

Papyrus really does like spaghetti.    

Like, a lot. 

Ok, so he made it for dinner for all three of you, which was really nice, but when Papyrus was giving you the tour of the house, he let you look in his fridge, and it was literally just spaghetti. Seriously. Well, that and some ketchup.   

Oh, and first, here’s a brief description of the skeletons’ house. It was pretty simple. It had an upstairs with Papyrus’ room, then Sans’, then the bathroom (oh yeah, in Toriel’s house, that was a bathroom, not a guest bedroom, by the way). Downstairs was the kitchen with orange wallpaper, and then a big open space with a large green couch and a TV in front of it. The couch is where you all were eating our spaghetti, on nice white plates. The place was really clean, besides one measly sock next to the TV that Sans and Papyrus apparently had an argument about. There’s also a lot of the color purple, a dark purple, and it’s pretty nice. You love the color purple.

Also, you had looked out of the window of the house and noticed that the sky had become darker. Which is weird, since it’s not the sky, but you guess that they have a system that corresponds with daytime and nighttime and what time it should be dark and light.

Anyway, the spaghetti is not that good, but you would never say that to Papyrus. Since you’re going to still be around Snowdin tomorrow, though, you plan on helping him cook spaghetti. Like, the right way, you guess. Or, at least, a more edible way.

You had been really hungry, so you asked Papyrus for a second helping. He was ecstatic about you “liking” his pasta, so he happily went to the kitchen. It felt really good to put a smile on someone else’s face. 

And Sans also seemed to be happy about Papyrus being happy. And perhaps he was happy about you making Papyrus happy.

Ha, you don’t know, all you do know is that the two brothers seemed happy at this moment.

Once you all finished your pasta (and ketchup, by the fucking way, cause Sans fucking drinks ketchup apparently, and when you looked at him confusedly, he only shrugged and questioned you, saying that ketchup is good), Papyrus brought out this whole set of movies. The same robot was on every cover. 

“HUMAN, WHICH METTATON MOVIE IS YOUR FAVORITE?” You burrow your eyebrows at Papyrus, slightly shaking your head.

“WHAT?! YOU DON’T KNOW WHO METTATON IS?!” Papyrus seems to be quite offended. 

_How did he know... never mind, I don’t care, it’s cool._

“uh, i don’t think mettaton’s movies are up on the surface, bro.” 

_Damn, the surface?_

_Damn._

_It’s just, calling it the surface really does make it sound like they’re trapped down here._

_Which they are._

_I feel really guilty about all of that._  

“OH, YES, I SUPPOSE YOU’RE RIGHT. WELL THEN, HUMAN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM HAPPY TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO TELL YOU ABOUT METTATON! HE IS...”

“ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE UNDERGROUND! HE DOES EVERYTHING IN A PERFECT MANNER WITHOUT EVEN TRYING! HE CAN SING AND DANCE AND EVEN COOK, TOO!” 

_Oh, wow. He sure seems to like this guy._

“mettaton is also the only actor in the underground.”

“AND HE IS THE BEST AT IT!”

Once Sans said that, it made sense why Papyrus likes this Mettaton guy so much. Obviously since he’s the only celebrity in the Underground, he must be completely overrated. You don’t know that for sure, of course, but you believe that to be the case.  

Once Papyrus told you who Mettaton was, he started playing his movies. They were, uh...

Bad.

Like, _very_ bad.

They were extremely cliché, with almost no plot except focusing on Mettaton doing cool things. Yes, he can sing and dance, and sure, he’s not too bad of an actor, but those movies were just not the funnest to watch. 

But Papyrus really liked them, so you tried to get into them, too. You would look to your left a couple of times (it was Papyrus, then Sans, and then you) at Sans, and you could tell he felt the same way you did. He rolled his eyes a couple times at the really cheesy parts, and that almost made you laugh, especially because you basically felt the same way.

So, yeah, boring movies + tired girl = sleep.

You probably fell asleep towards the end of the second movie, where Mettaton was a pirate fighting for... uh, something about love, maybe? You’re not very sure. You just know that once you woke up, the credits were playing, and Papyrus looked like he was about to cry. 

“THAT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL! IT WAS SO GREAT HOW HE WON! WHAT DO YOU THINK, HUMAN?” 

Too tired to really comprehend what he was asking you, you slowly nod your head, trying to keep your eyes open.  

“uh, hey, paps, i think the kid is too tired to watch any more movies. in fact, i think she’s-“

“SANS, NO.”

“ _bone_ tired.”

Papyrus groans as you chuckle softly. He gets up swiftly. 

“HUMAN, ALTHOUGH SANS MADE A TERRIBLE PUN-“ He disapprovingly glances at Sans, who is smiling widely.

“I BELIEVE WHAT HE SAID TO BE TRUE!” He quickly runs upstairs into his room, almost immediately coming back with an orange blanket you guess he got from his closet. He hands it to you. 

“I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND SLEEPING ON OUR COUCH! WE ONLY HAVE TWO BEDS, AFTER ALL!” 

You smile, shaking your head.  

“GREAT! GOODNIGHT, HUMAN! SLEEP WELL!” He goes back upstairs and into his room after you nod your head to him. Sans stands up.

“welp, gotta go and read papyrus a story. g’night.” 

_Aw, that’s cute._

You nod your head to him, too, smiling. He turns the TV off and goes back upstairs to Papyrus’ room to read him a story. You yawn whilst you take off your backpack and shoes and socks, setting them all down on the ground right next to you (you put your socks in your boots). You lay down on the couch and put the soft blanket on top of you, closing your eyes. Most of the time, it’s hard for you to fall alseep, but tonight, sleep welcomes you with open arms. As you think about the adventure you have gone through so far, and the people you have met, you go to sleep.

 

 

 

_You’re running. Away from him. You didn’t want to leave him._

_He made you. He said that he’ll meet back up with you outside_

_You don’t know where to go. You think this is a stupid plan. You two work better as a team. And even though he worries about you, you do the same with him._

_Being without him scares you._

_You take multiple turns, hearing the panicking screams of people, hoping that they won’t find you. Thankfully, they sound far away._

_You can see the dim orange light on the white walls and you can feel the heat of the flames that are beginning to engulf this place._

_You can’t take any of the exits. You could run into someone and they could take you to_ them _. So, you stop in front of a large window. It’s your best chance._

_And your only one._

_You take a deep breath, trying to prepare yourself to jump through the window. You’re about to do it, but then you don’t._

_The sudden explosion does it for you._

_Once you open your eyes, you’re laying down on the grass. There’s a ringing in your head and there are small cuts all over your arms and legs, and even a bit on your face, from shards of glass. With what little strength you have left, you sit up and look back at the window._

_Fire is pouring out of it._

_In fact, there is fire pouring out of every single window in front of you._

No. 

_“NO!” You can’t help from screaming out in grief. You sob loudly._

No, please, not again, stop!

Wake up!

This is a dream, this is a dream, this is a nightmare!

_In the distance, you hear sirens._

_As you try to contain your sobs, you force yourself to stand up and run. Once again, you don’t know where you’re going, but you just know that you need to get as far away from there as possible._

_Everything is a blur._

_Your sense of time is null right now. You run out of breath after probably almost half a mile, you guess, stopping. You collapse to the ground, grasping tightly onto the grass beneath you._

_You can’t breathe. You’re hyperventilating._

_Tears continue to run down your face. And sweat. And then, rain. But it doesn’t help._

_In fact, it burns._

_You scream, calling out for him._

 

_Calling out for anyone._

_“kid?”_

 

Please.

 

 

_“wake up.”_

 

Help me.

 

 

 

_“wake up!”_

 

 

You open your eyes, jerking up and gasping for air. Your shaking hands reach for anything, grabbing hold of the cushions of the couch. Big, fat tears drip off of your face and onto your sweatshirt as a sob escapes your throat.

“easy, easy, it’s ok.”

You look to your right, and through the blurriness, you can see Sans, kneeling on the ground next to you. His jacket is off, and he’s wearing a pair of blue basketball shorts. You rub your eyes, allowing everything to become a little clearer. He somehow still has a smile on his face, yet his expression contradicts it, being extremely worrisome. You feel the same way. 

Why, one might wonder?

You can’t breathe.

Well, obviously, you can breathe, but you’re hyperventilating horribly. Your chest slightly aches with a dull pain. Usually when you feel this way, you can’t control yourself, and you pass out. And then, when you wake up, you’re too exhausted to do anything. It’s like you feel numb. 

Panic attacks happen a lot in your life.

You feel like your head is in a fog. You can’t focus or concentrate on anything. Your vision is beginning to darken. You’re not sure if you closed your eyes or not. 

You can’t really feel anything at the moment.

But, you can just manage to feel a boney hand hold your own unsteady hand again a soft piece of cloth.

“kid, it’s okay. follow my breathing. do you think you can do that?” 

You manage a nod. 

“okay, good. try to take deep breaths.” 

Under the cloth, something rises.

You put all your energy into focusing on this. 

With all your strength, you try to take a deep breath in. It’s barely anything, but it’s a start. 

“good.”

The cloth goes back down.

You breathe out, a hiccup escaping you whilst doing so.

You repeat this process for a few minutes more, until your breathing finally slows down to an acceptable pace. Acceptable as in that you’re not going to faint. The salty liquid still escapes your eyes, but not as much as they did before. Also, your sobbing has stopped, with only a few hiccups here and there. 

“you had a nightmare, huh? you were screaming pretty loudly.”

You look up at Sans, who is still gingerly holding your hand. 

_Yeah, but I should fucking be used to them by now._

You can’t say that to him, though.

_By the way, woah, I was_ screaming _? Night terrors haunt me on a regular basis, but I’ve never screamed, not once._

You decide not to question it any further, but you will not forget about it. 

You nod, trying to form a smile. You squeeze his hand, hoping that he will understand your gratitude. 

He does.

“no problem.” He shrugs. “i, uh, can relate, y’know?” He looks away a little bit. “calming down is the best thing to do in situations like these.”

For some reason, it surprises you that Sans has had this sort of experience before. Something about his careless and laidback attitude makes him look like he has nothing to worry about, especially nightmares.

Though, if you were a monster, you’d probably have a lot of nightmares about, like, humans. Stuff like that, that monsters may fear or just plain out know nothing about. 

You softly gaze at him and let go of his hand.

“don’t worry about me, pal, i have a thick skull.” He knocks twice on his skull.

Your laugh is dry, but it’s pure. You’re just kinda dehydrated cause of crying. 

As you’re trying to wipe away your tears, you hear a door open. You and Sans both look up to see Papyrus walk out of his room, wearing a white shirt like Sans, except bigger, and long, orange pyjama pants. 

“SANS? HUMAN?” His voice is still quite loud, but in a hushed tone, like Sans’ voice. His eyelids are droopy since he must have just woken up.

“IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT?” He then gasps. “ARE YOU CONTINUING THE SLEEPOVER WITHOUT ME?!” 

Sans quietly chuckles.

“no, papyrus, we’re not having fun without you.” You smile at him. 

Papyrus laughs. 

“WELL, OF COURSE. I AM THE BRINGER OF FUN, AFTER ALL.” Even though he literally just woke up, he still hastily makes his way down the stairs. 

He always impresses you.

Once he is right next to you, he gasps again, noticing the tear streaks (and blush, like, a pink tint on your face that makes your cheeks warm and your cool tears feel like a sweet, yet salty, salvation) on your face. 

“HUMAN?! WHY ARE YOU CRYING?! SANS, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN?!” The franticness of his voice and caring expression

Break. Your. Heart.

And, also cause Sans was so fucking nice that he calmed you down and shared personal information about himself, your heart cannot take much more from these sweet, sweet brothers. 

“calm down, paps, she’s ok. she had a nightmare, but she’s fine n- hey, what’s wrong?” Sans interrupts himself, looking back at you after looking at Papyrus.

_Oh._

_I’m crying again._

Once Papyrus had come down the stairs, your tears had just about stopped, but now you just can’t help it. You’re not sobbing, at least. A waterfall of tears streams down your face silently. 

You wipe at the tears, shaking your head at the skeletons, trying to wave them off, trying to stop them from caring. 

It doesn’t help. 

Suddenly, you feel a long pair of arms tightly surround you in an attempt of comfort.

“IT’S OKAY, HUMAN. WE ALL HAVE BAD DREAMS. SO, IT’S ALRIGHT IF YOU ARE SAD, EVEN IF IT MAKES ME SAD.” You can’t seem to hold back a tiny, sad (yes, that word is used a lot in this situation) smile. You feel tempted to push away from him, try to force yourself to stop crying, and to somehow go back to sleep. 

You don’t.

The smile fades.

You hug him back.

You sob.

There’s a million reasons why you’re crying. You almost died falling down here, you idiotically left someone who actually fucking offered to love and care for you, you’ve been threatened TWO times by a goddamn flower, you had a nightmare about that whole _incident_ , these two won’t stop being nice to you even though you’ve done absolutely nothing for them. 

But, you think that you’re crying because you’re just overwhelmed with emotions and you don’t know how to feel. Plus, everything is happening so fast, it’s just all too much at once. 

So, you quietly sob as Papyrus holds you, with Sans lightly rubbing a circle on my right shoulder. 

And you know what?

You felt safe. 

And you know how else you felt? 

“I’m sorry.”  

You once again don’t know who you are apologising to. Toriel, perhaps, for leaving her, or the same with him. You think it was mainly directed towards the two monsters who are currently comforting you.

You can feel the surprise of the brothers in their touch, but you don’t care. You felt guilty. You haven’t spoken for, what, 4, 5 years? How ironic it is for your first words since then to be “I’m sorry.”  

You keep on mumbling the saying over and over again. Your voice is barely even a whisper, and it is choppy and cracky due to the years of misuse. 

You think it will get better over time, though, because you believe that it is time that you can start speaking again. To be honest, you miss using your voice. When you stopped using it, it was out of... depression. Anger. And then, you felt like you didn’t deserve to talk. Also, with your anxiety, you barely even wanted to talk to people. But, you think that you’re ready to start speaking again.

By the way, yes, you’ve only known these two for about a day and, yet, you start talking to them, when you haven’t used your voice for so long. It seems weird and off understandably. Hopefully, whoever you are understands how you feel right now. And how you feel is that you’re ready, you’re done with not using your voice, you miss it, it’s been long enough, and really, he would most likely want you to start using your voice, too. 

The only thing you regret now is not doing this sooner when you first met Toriel.

”What do you have to apologise for, human?” Papyrus questions you, his voice much softer and quieter. 

“Just...” You gasp for breath, tightly holding onto Papyrus’ shirt. “Everything.”

After maybe five, six, seven minutes tops, you stop crying. You let go of Papyrus, wiping your wet face with your sleeves. You can already feel the skin under your eyes beginning to burn from rawness. 

“I KNOW WHAT WILL MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER!” Papyrus exclaims in his regular, cheery voice. He grabs your hand and gets up, almost jerking your arm out of its socket as he just about drags you up the stairs. You almost trip over your own feet. Once you two are upstairs, he reopens his door and walks over to his bed, letting go of your hand. You sit down on his bed unconsciously. You’re a bit dizzy after what just happened. You turn around towards the doorway and see Sans leaning against the wall, wearing an amused look. 

You smile at him, puzzled still at what just happened. 

You turn back around at Papyrus, who grabs a thin, pink book off of his bookshelf. He turns the book towards you, and as you read the title to yourself, he also says it aloud. 

“PEEK-A-BOO WITH FLUFFY BUNNY!”

_What._

“THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES! THE ENDING ALWAYS GETS ME.”  

_Okay, that’s really freaking adorable._

“AND SANS IS THE BEST AT READING IT!” You look back at Sans, who is the tiniest bit embarrassed.

_Oh how the tables have turned._

“bro, don’t you think it would be better if _you_ read it? you _are_ the best at everything.” 

“HMPH. PERHAPS, BUT ONLY _YOU_ CAN READ THIS BOOK THE WAY THAT YOU ALWAYS DO!”

“do i have to?”

“YES, SANS, FOR THE SAKE OF THE HUMAN’S HAPPINESS!” 

“ugh, fine.” 

He walks over to the chair in front of the desk with the computer on it and pulls it over to where Papyrus is standing. Papyrus hands him the book before going to the other side of the bed and getting in it, lying down. As Sans sits down, you lay down on top of the bed, resting your head upon a clean, white pillow.

“once upon a time, there was a fluffy bunny...”

You close your eyes.  

Once Sans has read a few pages, you fall asleep.

This time without any nightmares.

_Thank you, Sans and Papyrus._   

_Thank you._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the ninth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time is Nightmare by Set It Off. Talk to you soon!!!
> 
> P.S. This was a chapter of many firsts, the first angst, first time readers speaks. I’ve already mentioned this, but, yes, I know, it’s only the ninth chapter and the reader is already talking. Sorry if it seems off. I just think that this was a good moment for it to happen and I really want her to talk throughout her journey. Why even make her mute in the first place, you ask? Because.
> 
> Plot.
> 
> Backstory (which was mentioned in this chapter in the tiniest way).
> 
> Anyway, talk to you later, thanks again, byeeee!


	10. Green Light Means Go Learn and Talk!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You feel bad for monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, look who’s updating the second week in a row! After I posted that last chapter, I started working on this one immediately. Plus, I wanted to post this one today because today is the one month anniversary of me joining AO3 and I’m Drowning! Time sure flies by fast! Hope you guys like this chapter, and thank you, thank you, thank you for all your support!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_What to read first?_  

You stare at the books that lay upon the bookshelves. In the library, there are almost a hundred books for me to choose from. So, for right now, you are scanning the edges of each book, trying to see which one you should choose first. 

Before you came to the librarby (ha, sorry, gotta poke fun at the misspelling of the sign), you had woken up in Sans and Papyrus’s house. Papyrus fed you spaghetti for breakfast, and they let you use the shower in the bathroom. They had also offered to wash your clothes, but you had said no, telling them that it’s fine. It was weird that they had shampoo in their bathroom, since, you know...

They have no hair.

You have so many questions.

You dried your hair carefully, making sure to have it come out straight since there was no straightening iron. You don’t need one, you could always just make sure it comes out straight while you dry it, but you’re too lazy for that. Once you were dry, you put your clothes and shoes back on. Somehow, your clothes don’t smell bad. You think it’s because when you were doing one of Papyrus’s puzzles, you failed on purpose a couple of times, causing you to fall down into a pile of snow. You think that may have kinda washed my clothes, or, at least, freshened them up.

Anyway, you then left the house, giving your thanks to the brothers and telling them how you are going to walk around town for a bit. You decided to leave your backpack there since you don’t really need it for today.

And now you’re here, in the library, with the librarian and three others who are sitting at a table together, talking and doing a crossword. You had finally decided on one book that was titled “The Background of Our Rulers”, but you grabbed the book right next to it. You open it and quickly scan the pages.

It is completely blank.

You walk up to the front desk. 

“Um, excuse me? This book has, uh, nothing in it.” 

Your voice is still not that good, and you’re still getting used to talking, but it’s better than it was last night.

By the way, you apologised to Sans and Papyrus about last night and they just told you that it was okay.  

_Like, what the fuck, why you so nice?_  

You thanked them, after that. 

Your face is a little puffy, and you’re still flustered, but it looks like you’re only cold, not that you cried.

Anyway, you handed the book to the librarian, who did the same as you did, opening it and quickly flipping through the pages.

“Hmph.”

They handed the book back to you.

“Yeah, sometimes that happens. I’m not very sure how those kinds of books get it here. You can keep it, if you want. It’s not like anyone is going to read it if it’s blank.” 

You hold the book, thinking about what you could use it for.

A lightbulb goes off in your head.

“Thanks. I’ll take you up on that offer.” You go back to the books, mentally choosing a couple of them. You walk back to the librarian.

“Sorry to bother you again, but one more thing: Do you have a pen?” 

 

***

 

You gently set down the books in the snow, sitting down and leaning against a tree in a quiet part just outside of Snowdin. For some reason, the librarian literally just allowed you to walk out of there with four books, including the one they let you keep. They said that no one has ever stolen a book before, and you look trustworthy (for some reason), so they only told me that you need to bring them back.

You open the blank book to the first page, holding the pen in your right hand. You decide to first read “The War Between Humans and Monsters”. As you read, you take notes. And though you don’t particularly enjoy school, especially the homework and note-taking part, you feel like it is necessary for you to take notes on this stuff. You’re already confused about a lot of things, so you think that it’s best if you write down what you currently know and what you are learning.

After finishing the book (only half it’s pages were filled, the same goes for the other two books), you realise that your hatred for humanity could, in fact, increase.

Like, okay, you’re not saying that all humans are bad. That’s stereotyping. You like most of humanity. For the most part, everyone is pretty chill. But, then there are  _those_  people.

You know exactly who those people are. The people who are shit who also don’t give a shit about anyone but themselves. 

Thankfully, the number of those people seems to be decreasing, or the number of good people seems to be increasing, you don’t fucking know. Either way, the world is slowly getting better.

Anyway, apparently about 300 years ago, in the 18th century, monsters and humans lived in harmony. Until, one day, humans had begun to realise how powerful monsters were, and began to fear them; therefore, a war broke out between the monsters and the humans. It had lasted for only five months, for the humans were so consumed by hatred and fear, they fought with everything they had. The monsters had lost so many soldiers, that they were forced to give up. The humans then forced all of monster-kind underground, casting a spell that created a magical barrier. Only beings with powerful souls could go through it. 

And monster souls are not as strong as human souls.

You made sure to bolden the part in which you wrote that humans were once beings of magic.

The monsters made the best out of the Underground, making their own somewhat utopian city and towns. As time went on, humans forgot about monsters, with only small legends here and there being passed down about the possibility of real-life monsters. 

You know, fucked-up.

And it doesn’t even really get better.

After reading the second book, “The Background of Our Rulers,” you learned that King and Queen Dreemurr (it never mentioned their first names for some reason) had a son, Asriel Dreemur, who was fucking killed by humans.

The story goes that when the first human had fallen down, it had been a moment of hope for the monsters, who believed that the human child was the key to their liberation. The human quickly made friends with the royal family, who accepted the child as their own. Soon after, the child got sick and died. The son was so close with the human, that he took the human’s soul and combined it with his own, despite the fact that the human was dead. Supposedly, human souls last for a couple of seconds after they die.

Weird, right?

So, the young prince became this type of god, and passed the barrier, having a strong enough soul to pass through it. His purpose for leaving the Underground was to fulfil the human child’s last wish: To be with the golden flowers in their village once more. And so, he walked into the village, holding the corpse of the small child. The humans of the village didn’t like this, and assumed that he had killed the human. Out of rage and fear, just like when the monsters were locked away, the villagers began to attack the monster. As two villagers came by and took the dead body to what was probably a hospital-like building, the monster was being killed. And even though he had enough strength to kill all of the villagers, he allowed his death to occur, knowing right from wrong, and accepting his fate. Once the prince was too weak to even cry out in anymore pain, the villagers left him to die. Dazed and on the verge on death, the poor monster made his way back to the castle that he lived in, dying with his mother and father, and his dust being scattered on a patch of golden flowers. 

Two innocent souls died that day. 

A period of grief followed in the world of monsters below. The king was outraged, deciding that every human that falls down was to be killed, and that their souls are to be preserved so that they can be used to break the barrier. His wife disagreed, disgusted by the king’s way of genocide, and ultimately left him. Her whereabouts are still unknown to this day.

The death of their son brought nothing but hatred into the royal family’s life. And in turn, the rest of monster-kind felt the same way, determining all humans as evil beings who need to be stopped.

King Dreemurr presently has six human souls, requiring only one more to not only pass the barrier, but to become the ultimate god and to rule over both monster and human-kind alike. 

That’s where the book stops.

You slowly close the book, your hand cramping from writing down so much information.

_Holy shit._

You’ve read hundreds of books, but none of them had any characters with such a messed-up backstory like this. And to think that this is real, that this actually happened.

_Just..._

_Holy shit._  

You open up the last book you took. It’s titled “Facts About The Monster Species”. It included things like how monsters turn to dust when the die, which is very somber, and how the king is horrible at naming things. 

Seriously.

The capital is called The Capital, this place is not only called The Underground, but it is also called New Home, the place right next to Snowdin is called Waterfall because of the water, and the place after Waterfall is called Hotland. 

Can you guess why? 

This poor guy is quite good at everything, and yet he cannot seem to come up with a good name.

By the way, you noticed that you have a paradox about the king. The books talked about him like he is this ruthless killer, and yet, when Papyrus talked about him, the king sounded extremely nice. You’re not sure which one is real, or if they are somehow both real. 

Also, you have still not figured out who Asgore is, the one that Toriel warned me about.

You’re sure you’ll find out soon.

You’re almost done with the book, when all of a sudden, you hear a voice right behind me. 

A voice you never wanted to hear again, but knew that your next meeting with him was inevitable.

“Howdy, partner.” 

You gasp, immediately getting up and accidentally holding your book with you. You turn around, looking down at the flower who just can’t stop tormenting you.

Your grip on the book tightens.

“Long time, no see. It looks like you’ve been busy.” You notice him glancing at the books. “And it seems that you have made quite a few friends.” Your eyes widen.

_How does he know...?_

“What, do you think that I haven’t been watching your little adventure? Don’t make me laugh. Your journey is an interesting one, and there’s no way that I’m letting someone like you out of my grasp. Oh, yes, I’m just waiting to watch you slip up and _kill_. Or, perhaps, watch you _get_ killed. I almost thought that Papyrus was going to capture you for a second there. Boy, would that have been funny! Someone as weak as him getting someone like you k- hey!”

The book hits the snow behind Flowey. 

“I am  _not_  afraid of you.  _Never_  talk about Papyrus like that. He is stronger than you could ever fathom.” 

That’s the first time you’ve said Papyrus’s name aloud.

“Well, well, well, look who’s talking. Didn’t think you would ever do that.” His stupid, fake grin turns into a scowl. “And you’re not afraid of me. _Really_? So, what, you think that you’re going to stop me?”

“W-well, I-“ 

Flowey laughs, cutting you off. 

“Are you serious?! Hee hee hee, you have got to be the weakest person in the Underground! There’s no way in a million years that you would ever stop me!” His smile goes away again. “You’re weak. Don’t deny it. Soon, my plan will fall into place, and I will be the strongest person to ever grace this horrible planet. Talk to you later, _idiot_.” He laughs and goes underground.

You sigh out of relief. That flower creeps you the fuck out. And something about the way he talks makes it sound like he  _knows_  that he is unstoppable. 

Sooner or later, he’s gonna get his ass kicked by someone, you fucking know it. Not by you, obviously, someone super strong, like the king maybe. Or that Undyne person that Papyrus has mentioned before. You also don’t know anything about them.

You run your now free hand through your hair, anxiety remaining inside of you, even though Flowey is gone.

For now.

_I don’t understand, why does he feel the need to_ threaten _me?! I’ve done nothing, and yet, what, he just_ has _to make it clear that he’s the strong one, not me. I just don’t_ fucking _understand._

_What’s his plan?_

“hey, kid, whatcha looking at?” 

You gasp, immediately turning around. You sigh out in relief once more. It’s only Sans. You had been so caught up in your thoughts about Flowey, that you didn’t even hear Sans walking up behind you.

“woah, sorry, didn’t mean to make ya  _jump outta your skin_.”

You take deep breaths, unconsciously grabbing onto your sweatshirt, the part right above my heart. 

“Ha ha, i-it’s fine, I just... didn’t hear you.” You force yourself to smile. You notice Sans looking over your shoulder, and then at the books next to the tree.

“what’s up with  _that_  book?” You turn around, and remember that you had thrown your book at Flowey. You go over and pick it up.

“I was walking and dropped it. Almost forgot about it.” You put the book with the others and look back at Sans, hoping that he won’t see through your lies.

You barely catch his eyes looking suspicious before he goes back to his nonchalant look.

“anyway, i’m on break so i was wondering if ya wanted to join me at grillby’s.” 

_Oh, that’s the restaurant in Snowdin. I haven’t been there yet._  

“Um, it’s okay, I’m not that hungry.” You kinda feel like he feels bad for you, so you don’t want to make him let you tag along with him.

You don’t want to bother him. 

He rolls his eye... lights?

“c’mon, kid, i know that you must want something other than papyrus’s spaghetti. you don’t have to lie, i know it’s not the best.” 

That surprises you. Sans seems to really admire Papyrus, so it’s weird to you that he notices that Papyrus does, in fact, have some flaws.

“It’s not the worst, either. But, sure, I’ll go with you.”

Sans’s smile grows a bit.

He reaches out his left hand towards you.

“c’mon, i know a shortcut.” You look at his hand, and then him. You slightly shift your body backwards.

_Uh, what?_

“look, this shortcut will only work if you hold on to me.”

_Again, what?_

“Uhhhh...” You quizzically look at him.

“c’mon, don’tcha trust me?” He reaches his hand out towards you a little more.

_Trust him?_

_I don’t..._

_I hadn’t..._

_I mean, he did help me._

_I have no reason I hate him, nor Papyrus. Based off of how they’ve acted towards me, I have every reason to trust them._

You take a deep breath and grab his hand with your right one.

“good, my arm was getting tired.”

“Oh, wait,” You remember suddenly, “what about my books?”  

“already taken care of.”

“Huh?”

You look back at the tree, where all of your books have now disappeared. 

“oh, and by the way: hang on tight.”

You turn back towards him and open your mouth, about to ask him what just happened to your books and what’s about to happen, but you’re too late.

Because it already begins to happen. 

You feel as if your feet leave the ground, which you think thy actually do. Around you, everything goes black, like, black black, not black when it’s midnight, black when there’s nothing there. The wind gets knocked out of you, leaving you breathless.

But, either way, you think you would’ve been quite out of breath.

You’re happy that you’re not only breathless, but you’re also speechless, because you feel like you would have been screaming. It was almost like your heart was in your throat.

And in a second, it was over.

Your feet return to the safety of land, and you almost immediately fall over. You’re dizzy and disoriented, wanting to throw up, but fighting the urge to do so. Instead, you are just about gasping for air, greedily taking in as much as you can.

“whoops, sorry, bud, probably should’ve warned ya. uh, you okay?”

You open your eyes. You hadn’t realised that you had closed them out of fear. You also hadn’t realised that your hold on Sans’ hand had also tightened greatly out of fear. You quickly let go of it, running your other hand through your hand.

“Y-yeah, yeah, I’m good, just wasn’t expecting that. What was that any... way...” Your sentence drifts off as you look around.

In front of you is Grillby’s. 

You turn to your left and right, seeing the rest of the town.

“What? H-how did we- What did you- What?!” You stumble across your words.

“magic.” He winks and turns around, walking into the tavern-like building. 

_What the fuck?!_

Not knowing what else to do, you follow Sans into Grillby’s. 

_Woah._

The place is softly lit, with everything a different hue of orange. It all blends together to create a nice atmosphere.

Especially since this atmosphere smells good cause of the food.

There are ten monsters in here, besides Sans, and they all greet him as walks to a stool at the bar. Once he sits down, the monsters continue to talk to one other, but as you walk over to Sans, you notice a couple of them stealing glances at you.

You don’t mind it, though, cause it’s probably not everyday that a human walks in here.

You sit on the stool next to Sans, and immediately notice the monster that comes out of the door that leads to what you assume is the kitchen. 

He’s made out of fire.

Your eyes widen before you immediately avert them to the counter that you are resting both of your elbows on. Fire itself doesn’t scare you, but it just puts thoughts in your head.

Ones about your nightmare.

About what happened. 

You are somehow able to force those feelings down and pretend like nothing’s wrong. The flaming bartender, who you assume is Grillby, sets down a menu for you. He doesn’t give one to Sans, and you assume it’s cause this is clearly not Sans’ first time being here. 

“let’s order. whaddya want?” You look at the menu, but not before noticing the fire monster stare at Sans for a couple seconds. You felt like he was kinda saying something to him. Anyway, the laminated piece of paper only says two things: _Burger, Fries._  

_Wow, so many options to choose from._

“Uh, fries.” Fries, for some reason, sound real good right now.

“hey, that sounds pretty good. grillby, we’ll have a double order of fries.” Grillby barely nods his head before taking the menu and going back into the kitchen.

“so, what do you think of my brother?”

_Thank god, I can never come up with small talk, or, at least, good topics._

“For one thing, he’s super sweet. And he’s very cool.” 

“of course he’s cool. you’d be cool, too, if you wore that outfit everyday.”

_Uh, maybe._

“he’d only take that thing off if he absolutely had to.”

_What’s so special about those clothes, anyway?_

“oh well. at least he washes it. and by that I mean he wears it in the shower.” 

_Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm._

_TMI._

You feel a little ashamed of thinking of a Vine that what he just said reminded you of.

Yes, you like Vines, you’re a fucking 13 year-old girl!!

“here comes the grub.” You look to see Grillby bringing two baskets of fries, setting one down in front of Sans and one in front of you.

“want some ketchup?” You notice that he has a bottle of ketchup in his hand.

“N-no thanks.” He shrugs.

“suit yourself. _bone_ appétit.” He winks, causing you to laugh. As Sans drinks some of the ketchup (oof, you still can’t get over that), you try one of the fries. 

Which are freaking amazing.

These fries are the best ones you’ve ever had. They’re the slightest bit crunchy on the inside, yet soft on the inside. 

They’re also fucking delicious.

This time, you’re going to savour your wonderful food. As you eat, Sans starts up another conversation.

“anyway, cool or not, you have to agree that papyrus tries real hard. like how he keeps trying to be part of the royal guard.” 

You nod your head in agreement.

“one day, he went to the house of the head of the royal guard. and begged her to let him be in it. of course, she shut the door on him cause it was midnight.” 

_Aw, what?! That was rude, even if it was late at night. Papyrus is too nice to ever deserve getting a door slammed in his face._

“but the next day, she woke up and saw his still waiting there. seeing his dedication, she decided to give him warrior training. it’s, uh, still a work in progress.”

_Well, at least she ended up being nice to him._

“oh yeah, i wanted to ask you something.” You suddenly feel dizzy, a thought popping in your head that it’s vertigo.

You’re not sure why. 

You know that everyone is still talking, you can hear them. And in front of you and Sans, Grillby is silently polishing a glass. 

“have you ever heard of a talking flower?” 

You almost fucking choke on your fries.

_Holy shit, what?! Wait, does he know about Flowey?! The fuck?!?_

You swallow the fries.

_Shooooot, what should I say? I mean, what if he’s not even talking about Flowey?_

_Dumbass, what other fucking talking flowers are there?!?_

“Um, I-I think so.” You manage to say, taking a break from the potatoes.

“so you know all about it. the echo flower. they’re all over the marsh. say something to them, and they’ll repeat it over and over.”

_Jesus, thank god, he’s not talking about Flowey._

“What’s so special about them? Like, why bring them up?”

“well, papyrus told me something interesting the other day. sometimes, when no one else is around, a flower appears and whispers to him. flattery, advice, encouragement.”

“predictions.” 

_Weeeeeeelllllllllll, guess who’s fucking wrong about what he was talking about._

“weird, huh?” You just then notice that he hasn’t even touched his food.

“Y-yeah, totally. What, um, do you think is going on?”

“i dunno. i guess that someone must be using an echo flower to play a trick on him.” He shrugs, as if it’s not really a big deal. Just some jerk messing around with a naïve person.

You know better. 

“keep an eye out, ok?” 

You nod. 

“thanks.” The two of you go quiet, the soft chatter of the customers and crackling of Grillby (what a weird way to put that, you guess you should add that its the flames that are on top of his head) filling the usual silence. Your vertigo, or whatever that feeling was, dissipates, but your thoughts are elsewhere.

_Should I say something about Flowey? Maybe. I don’t want to stress him out, though. I’m already stressed out enough about him. And now that I know that he’s after Papyrus, or, at the very least, friends with him, makes it a lot worse. Sans is so protective of him, I wouldn’t be doing him a favour. But, still, isn’t the right thing to do right now is to w-_  

“welp, that was a long break.” He interrupts your thoughts, standing up. 

“i can’t believe i let ya pull me away from work for so long.” You smile, playfully glaring at him.

“Hey, wait, what about your food?” You look over at his basket of fries that are untouched.

“eh, you can have them. i’m not that hungry anyway.”

_What?! Then why’d you want to come to a restaurant? This was_ your _idea!_

Baffled, you thank him.

“no problem. oh, by the way. i’m flat broke. can you foot the bill? it’s just 10000 g.”

“Wooooah, what?!” You’re not sure if you meant to say that aloud or not. 

_Uh, am I allowed to tell him that I, too, am flat broke?!_  

“just kidding. grillby, put it on my tab.”  

_Kidding about which part? Me paying for it or it being 10000 G? Holy shit, was that actually 10000 G?!_

He begins to walk away, but stops before opening the door. He turns back around at you.

“by the way, i was going to say something, but i forgot.” And then he walks out.

_The fuck?_ That’s _how you’re leaving this conversation? With me wondering what you might’ve said?_

You breathlessly laugh, shaking your head. You turn to Grillby, asking for a bag. He gives you one, and you put the remaining fries in it. You give him your thanks before getting up and leaving. As the cold hits your face, it triggers you to remember something.

_Fuck, I didn’t say anything about Flowey. Well, I hadn’t decided yet if I was going to or not._

_Fuck, I didn’t ask him where my books are!_

  

***

 

“Woah, woah, woah, wait a sec. Papyrus, do you really put _glitter_ in the spaghetti?”

“HOW ELSE IS IT SUPPOSED TO SPARKLE?”

_How do I tell him that spaghetti is not supposed to sparkle._

“Uh, let’s just leave that out this time, okay?” 

No wonder the pasta fucking shone.

“HM, OKAY, HUMAN.” He hesitantly puts the salt shaker full of glitter down on the counter that you were leaning against. Once you got to the brothers’ house, which is where your books somehow ended up, you finished your note-taking. Coincidentally, the two monsters got home at that time. You had asked Papyrus if he would show you how to make spaghetti, which he happily agreed to. You also mentioned that you could kind of show him how humans cook spaghetti, which he also, thankfully, agreed to.

So far, you’ve been forced to tell him not to add sprinkles, bananas, way too much salt, and now glitter. 

“Molly.” 

Papyrus and Sans, who was also leaning against the counter while watching you and Papyrus in amusement, look at you.

“WHAT?”

“Molly. That’s, uh, that’s my name. You don’t have to call me by it, I like your guys’ nicknames for me. It’s just, I hadn’t told you guys yet, and you two told me your names, and, like, we weren’t really properly introduced, so I just felt like I wanted to tell you guys that.” 

You’re not sure why, but you felt like they had a right of knowing. 

“I LIKE IT!”

“cool name, kid.”

“Thanks.” You murmur out, blushing.

Papyrus had paused, but he then continued to stir the pot of food.

“YOUR HUMAN RECIPES SURE ARE STRANGE, HUMAN MOLLY.”

_Wow, I like the nickname._

“Ha, yeah, well, that’s us humans. We’re weird.”

_I mean, it is true, isn’t it?_

You help him make the rest of the spaghetti, the last of his ingredients being pretty okay. When it’s ready, he puts it onto the plates again and you all go to the couch. You start eating it and sigh silently. It tastes much better. Even Sans and Papyrus agree, that is, before saying that it’s not as good as The Great Papyrus’, but it is quite good. Once you’re all done, you offer to do the dishes.

“nah, it’s good, kid, i got it.” You roll your eyes.

“Seriously, you both have done so much for me. At least let me help.” Sans laughs. Probably because you’re trying to help, when you’re a kid, and most likely hate doing the dishes. 

“whatever.” He shrugs and walks into the kitchen. You follow him, leaving Papyrus in the living room watching a program on TV.

Mettaton’s show is on. That’s mainly why Sans said at first that he would do the dishes. He really doesn’t like that robot. 

You’re both silent as you wash the dishes and hand them to Sans, who dries them with a towel. If your hands weren’t so wet, you would run one of them through your hair.

_Well, now or never._

“So, um, I didn’t come in here to help with the dishes. Uh, wait, like, I mean, I do want to help, but there’s another reason why I’m in here. I wanted to tell you something. Without Papyrus in the room.” You look over at him nervously. All he does is nod, motioning for you to continue.

“I’m leaving tomorrow, and I can’t bear the thought of leaving without warning you.” You see him raise an eye bone? at you. 

“Okay, well, do you know how you said in Grillby’s how there was a flower that talks to Papyrus? And, um, you think it’s an echo flower? Yeah, no. That’s not what’s going on. It’s an actual flower monster. His name is Flowey, and though I’ve never seen him talk to Papyrus, I’m almost 100 percent sure that it’s him. He is... not good news. At all.”

You take a deep breath.

“He’s talked to me three times. The first time, he tried to kill me. And the second and third time, he threatened me. I know he’s a flower and all, but he’s actually kinda scary. Like, he keeps on mentioning this plan of his. I’m not sure what it’s about, but I’m sure nothing good. When I first met him, he was nice to me, and then, at the end, he tried to kill me, and I don’t want him to do the same with Papyrus. I know, I should’ve told you at Grillby’s, but I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to worry you. And then I realised that I was being selfish. If Papyrus got hurt because of Flowey, then it would be my fault cause I didn’t warn you, so, uh, yeah. There’s your warning.” You’re literally almost out of breath by the time you stop talking. It’s funny. Yesterday, you weren’t even speaking, and now you’re saying a bunch of stuff at once.

You look over at Sans, who doesn’t change his expression fast enough, cause for a second, he looked angry, and then he instantly went back to his regular look. 

“huh. thanks for warning me, kid. i appreciate it.” He goes back to drying a plate you just handed him. 

_How does he do that? Take something like that and not freak out? I will never understand other people._

_Hell, I don’t know, though, cause for all I know, he could be freaking out on the inside, while keeping his composure. That’s still pretty freaking amazing to me._

“No problem.” It becomes silent again. You hear Papyrus cheering, saying Mettaton’s name.

“are _you_ okay?”

“Huh?” You look at him, stopping. You’re on the last plate.

“about this whole flowey guy. how are you handling this?”

_Woah, wasn’t expecting that._

_I would never expect for someone to ask my opinion on something, or make sure I’m okay._

“Oh.” You continue cleaning the plate, even though it’s just about clean. You think that it may help your anxiety right now, give you something else to focus on.

“To be honest? He scares me. Badly. When I look at him as he talks to me, I see this look in his eye. A look of domination and greed. It freaks me out. He’s so confident, I feel like he _knows_ that his plan will work, or that he _will_ kill me. I don’t really know. I just know that I don’t have to worry about it right now. He is just a flower monster, after all. Like, okay, I know he almost killed me, but his attack wasn’t strong, it was just numerous. So, really, how powerful can he be?”

Sans puts up the last plate. 

“not sure. but that’s a good way to look at it. trust me, kid, you have nothing to worry about.” You dry your hands and roll your sleeves back down. 

You wish that were true. 

“by the way, ‘to be honest?’ i think it’s _tibia honest_.”

You laugh with him as you both walk out of the kitchen. Papyrus notices you two laughing.

“OH NO. SANS, DID YOU MAKE A PUN? STOP TORTURING THE HUMAN!” 

“sorry, bro, i can’t help it. without puns in my life, i’d be so _bonely_.” Papyrus groans, and you and Sans only laugh harder.

After you calmed down, you said goodnight to the brothers, and sat back down on the couch. You put the bag of fries and your book in your backpack before taking off your shoes. You finished your water bottle this morning since you were so dehydrated from last night, but even so, you’re almost out of room in your bag.

You’ll have to eat more or something

Maybe Waterfall won’t have restaurants. That way, you’ll be able to eat during your trip through that place. 

You stack the three books right next to your bag to make sure you don’t forget about them. You lay down and put the blanket on top of you. Tonight, as you close your eyes, you are wearing a smile, but you can’t help feeling a pang of sadness.

_Aw, man._

_I’m gonna miss these guys._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the tenth chapter of I’m Drowning! Hope you like it! The song mentioned this time is Green Light by Lorde. By the way, the Vine that the reader was referencing was the one with the woman in the bathtub and she’s drunk and saying “Beesh, I’m washing me and my clothes.”
> 
> P.S. Hope you like the reader’s name! I have a certain inspiration for it, so I’ll have to name it in the last chapter. Anyway, thank you, hope to talk to you soon, bye!!!!!


	11. Being A Human Sure Is Dangerous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some people wanna help you, some wanna kill you. You’re not sure why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyyy, I actually am updating on schedule now yaaaay. It was pretty fun to write this chapter, so I hope you all like it, and I’ll talk to you guys next week, byeeee!!!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

“See who?” 

“Undyne, of course!” Monster kid excitedly answers you. He’s at the first section of Waterfall you make it to, and asked you if you are “sneaking out to see her, too.”

_Undyne... that person Papyrus talks about._  

“Oh, um, yeah, totally. And what does she do again? I forgot.” You want to make it clear how she fits into all of this.

“What?! How could you forget?! She’s the captain of the royal guard, dude! She’s the coolest! I wanna be just like her when I grow up!”

 _Ohhhh, the captain of the royal guard. She’s the person that’s training Papyrus, and that’s thing Papyrus is trying to be apart of. And to do that, he was going to capture me. So..._

 _Definitely don’t want to run into her._  

“Hey, don’t tell my parents that I’m here, ha ha.” Monster Kid nervously says.

“Oh, don’t worry.” You then say goodbye to him.

Speaking of goodbyes, this morning when you woke up, you ate Papyrus’ spaghetti (and yours, too, you guess) for breakfast and returned the books to the library before telling him and Sans goodbye. Papyrus was extremely sad about it and hugged you, and you kinda had to make him let go, but you were sad to leave him, also. They both told you that they’ll miss you, but Sans said that he apparently has a manifold of jobs in the Underground, so he’ll see you around. And as for Papyrus, you told him that you can talk to him whenever since he gave you his phone number.

You were still sad, though.

You told them that even if you are able to leave, you will come back to Snowdin and talk to them once more.

You can’t tell if you were lying or not. 

Then, you said goodbye, and made your way to Waterfall.

So far, the place is pretty. The walls and ground are an indigo/violet cover, and there are waterfalls and crystals everywhere. You had begun talking to MK (that’s a lot easier to put than Monster Kid, huh?) since you recognised him from Snowdin, but all he seems to care about is running across Undyne.

You both certainly have different priorities.

As you walk away from him, you say “hi” to Sans, who is already at one of his many jobs. Somehow, the top of his sentry station has a layer of snow on it. He greets you back, but with nothing to talk about since you literally just saw each other, you keep on walking past him, saying “see you later.”

After that, you’re forced to cross a section of extremely shallow water with big rocks that float through it. As you walk, you’re thankful that you’re wearing leather boots. You make it across and continue to walk, leaving behind footprints of water. You are then forced to walk through a patch of long strands of grass. There’s no way to go around them, so you slowly begin to walk through it. It’s very uncomfortable since the plants brush against your body. You’re halfway through the green when you hear a voice that is louder than the rushing water around you.

“H... HI, UNDYNE!” You look up to where his voice is coming from, but can’t see anything past the high cliff above you. It doesn’t matter, though, for you know that it is Papyrus.

You just wish that you knew what Undyne looked like or something so that you could recognise her.

“I’M HERE WITH MY DAILY REPORT...” He sounds really anxious, and you think you know why, but are not very sure. You stand silently, listening to the conversation.

“UHHH... REGARDING THAT HUMAN THAT I CALLED YOU ABOUT EARLIER...” He pauses. You think Undyne is speaking, but she’s not as loud as Papyrus, so you can’t hear her at all. Plus, the water is so loud, you can barely hear Papyrus.

“Y-YES! OF COURSE I DID! I FOUGHT HER VALIANTLY!” A pause. “W-W-WELL... NO. I TRIED VERY HARD, UNDYNE, BUT IN THE END... I FAILED.” You’re guessing that she asked him if he captured you. He pauses again.

“BUT, UNDYNE, YOU DON’T H-HAVE TO DESTROY HER!”

 _Ummmm, excuse me?!_

“YOU SEE... YOU SEE....” He stops talking. You can barely hear another voice that you believe to be Undyne. 

“... I UNDERSTAND. I’LL HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN.”

 _No, Papyrus!_  

You don’t hear his voice anymore after that. Even though he said he would help Undyne, you have a feeling that at the same time, he will also help you.

You hope so.

You wait about a minute, thinking that they’re both gone by now. 

You’re wrong.

You move the slightest bit, brushing against the grass, causing them to create a soft noise. Above you, you hear heavy, clanging footsteps. You stop immediately, looking up. You can see someone looking over, and you crouch down, trying to push the top part of the strands of grass that are next to you together so that you’re not seen. 

 _Oh damn._  

You can’t see all of her through the pieces of green, but you see who you believe to be Undyne. She’s clad in a full suit of metal armour. You can’t see her face, but you can see that she is holding a big light blue spear that is almost glowing, kind of like the echo flowers (you’ve only seen one so far, and it was next to Sans’ sentry station). 

She steps away from the cliff after a couple of seconds of looking across the whole section of grass, but you force yourself to remain motionless, scared that she may hear you and come back. After waiting for another minute, you walk out of the green, not hearing anything else. You’re thankful to no longer be stuck in the vegetation.

“Yo!”

 _Holy shit!_

You turn around, alarmed. You almost scream, you’re so on edge from Undyne almost catching you.

“Oh. H-hey, MK.” You just about gasp out your words.

 _How did he get here?! I didn’t even hear him!_

“Did you see the way she was staring at you?” He speaks quickly.

“Yeah, I guess.” You mean, you couldn’t see her face, but from her stare you felt hatred.

It wasn’t very fun.

“That was  _awesome_! I’m  _soooo_  jealous!” He smiles wildly, almost shaking from his joy and excitement. You’re almost shaking from fear.

 _Does he seriously not understand what’s going on with me being a human and Undyne being captain of the royal guard?_

“What’d you do to get her attention?!” He laughs.

“I, uh, have no idea.” 

You’re too scared to tell him that it’s cause you’re a human. You don’t think he’s ever seen one before, and maybe most of these monsters have never seen a human before, which is why they are all slightly okay with you.

Most monsters still fight you right away, though.

“C’mon! Let’s go watch her beat up some bad guys!” He begins to run off, but immediately trips.

“Oh my god, are you okay?!” By the time you’re done talking, MK is already back up on his feet. He must have really strong lower body strength since he has no arms.

By the way, he has no arms.

He hasn’t been described yet. He’s your height, and is a type of dinosaur monster. His skin is light yellow, and he has a row of small yellow spikes that are kind of like a mohawk, since he has no hair. His shirt is light brown with dark yellow stripes, darker than his skin, and his shorts are the same shade of brown. You believe that he’s your age, maybe a year younger. He has no arms, but that doesn’t seem to bother him. In fact, he has never said anything about it, and no one ever mentions it. 

Monsters are very kind. 

He laughs off your concern. 

“Don’t worry about me! It happens all the time!” He runs off again, this time not face-planting. 

 _Aw, I wish that falling wasn’t the normal for him._

You continue walking, putting your hands in the pocket of your sweatshirt. In Waterfall, it’s not as cold as Snowdin, but wearing your hoodie is very comfortable. You make your way to a small area with a puzzle that includes cute flowers blooming upon lilies. In one of the books you read, it said that puzzles are all over the Underground.

Not sure how you feel about that.

You’re about to walk into the next room, or section, when the phone that Toriel gave you begins to rings. You take your hands out of your pocket and take off your backpack, grabbing the phone.

_Could it be...?_

You answer the phone.

“Hello?” Your voice is full of hope.

“HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS!!!” 

_Oh._  

It’s not that you’re not happy to hear Papyrus’s voice, but you just thought that maybe Toriel was calling you. She’s the only one who has this number. 

_Wait._  

“Papyrus, how did you get my number? You gave me _your_ number, remember?”  

“IT WAS EASY!!! I JUST DIALED EVERY NUMBER SEQUENTIALLY UNTIL I GOT YOURS!!!” He laughs.

_What_.

“O-oh, okay, that makes sense.” It doesn’t make sense. 

“SO... WHAT ARE YOU WEARING...?”

_Again, what._

“I’M... ASKING FOR A FRIEND.” He immediately says, as if it will reassure you that nothing weird is going on. 

“SHE THOUGHT SHE SAW YOU WEARING A PINK SHIRT. IS THAT TRUE? ARE YOU WEARING A PINK SHIRT?” He asks clearly, repeating himself to make sure you know what he means.

“Uh, yeah, I’m wearing a pink shirt. The one I was wearing in Snowdin.” You speak slowly.

“SO YOU _ARE_ WEARING A PINK SHIRT! GOT IT!!! WINK WINK!!!” He actually says “wink wink”.

“HAVE A NICE DAY!”

“Wait, Papyrus, what’s going-“ You hear the dial tone before you finish your sentence.

_That wasn’t suspicious at all._

You put the phone back in your bag, knowing that your sarcastic thoughts will not help you figure out what just happened. 

“Wait!” You can’t stop yourself from exclaiming aloud, for you suddenly realise what just happened. 

_The friend he was talking about was probably Undyne! And he probably said “wink wink” so that I would know that he was telling her I’m wearing a pink shirt; therefore, I should change out of the pink shirt!_  

The theory is so far-fetched, you don’t even believe it yourself, and you just fucking came up with it. 

_Whatever._

You take off the bag again, setting it on the ground this time. You take off your pink sweatshirt and take out the bag of fries, putting your hoodie inside the backpack. You then lean your bag against the wall and sit down next to it, criss-cross applesauce style. 

That’s right, you still act like a kindergartener and call it criss-cross applesauce because what the fuck else do you call that position? Everyone knows what it is!  

According to your phone, which you checked once you sat down, it’s 12:00 p.m., and though you only woke up, like, two hours ago, you’re hungry, so you say that it’s time for lunch.  

By the way, your phone is at 60% since you’ve barely been using it and you don’t have any service nor Wi-Fi, so you don’t get any notifications from your apps cause they’re all internet-based. You’re really scared that it’ll die soon. You mean, like you said, you’re not using it, but you think that it’s best for you to have it on, alive and working. No, you are not addicted to your phone, but without it, well... look, what you’re trying to say is that your phone is your last connection to the outside world. Your clothes, your backpack, that shit doesn’t count. Without your phone, you really will feel trapped down here. 

Sorry, you’ll stop. 

Anyhoo.

You begin to eat the fries joyfully.

_Ughhhhh, I forgot how good these are!!_

Once you finish them (you didn’t exactly _savour_ them this time), you flatten the bag and put it back in your bag. This way, you have enough room for your sweatshirt. You put your backpack back on and stand back up, continuing into the next room. This one contains a few echo flowers, and this room is apparently called The Wishing Room, and there are stars in the ceiling. But, there’s a downside.

There’s no actual stars.

They’re actually these crystals, or stones, that sparkle. But, against the black ceiling, they seem a little bit like stars. The real ones are much more beautiful, though. You love stars and planets and everything else that relates to astronomy. It’s all just so wonderful. You mean, don’t get it wrong, you basically hate science, it’s your worst subject (you almost got a B in it once, it wasn’t good). You’re more of a math person. That’s why you’re in algebra, even though you’re only in seventh grade. 

But yeah. Astronomy is awesome.

Anyway, you walk up to every echo flower, and they all have the same soft, quiet, high-pitched voice, but they tell different wishes. You also had to look through a telescope and break a wall down. 

Don’t ask.

You go through the hole in the wall, stepping onto a dock. As you walk across it, you notice that on the only wall connected to the dock, there is writing that talks about the war between humans and monsters. It’s not everything about it, and you already know what the signs say, except for one thing.

You hadn’t truly realised how powerful human souls are. And apparently, it would take every single monster soul to equal ONE human soul.

_Damn._

You write that down in your book apace, then step onto a small wooden slab that is at the edge of the dock. The slab somehow disconnects from the dock and floats all the way to the other side of the river.

Convenient, but strange. 

You step onto another dock, and a feeling of dread hangs over you. You walk much slower than before, looking around.

It doesn’t help.

Abruptly, out of nowhere (well, okay, maybe the sky), a spear drops down right in front of you, inches from your face. Startled, you gasp, jerking your body a step backwards. The spear was thrown so hard, it almost went right through the dark blue wood of the dock. Your eyes dart to everything in front of you. Seeing how there is no one in front of you nor behind you, you look up to your left and see who just threw the spear, thinking it should’ve been obvious to you in the first place. 

Undyne. 

She comes out of the darkness of the top of the cliff. It’s steep enough that you can look over it. Now that you can see pretty well over the cliff, you notice a long, brilliant red ponytail protruding from the shiny silver helmet. Also, she’s really tall, but you don’t think she’s as tall as Papyrus. Like, she’s right up there with him, but maybe an inch or two shorter. Her armour looks severely heavy, you wonder how she even walks around in it.

So, yeah, in that second of you just standing there staring up at her, and her seemingly glaring down upon you (it felt like she was glaring at you, you swear!), you were able to get a good look at her. It was a moment of peace.

It just about ended immediately.

Three spears appear in front of her, all of them pointing towards you. You barely dodge out of the way of their path of destruction, for you weren’t focused. But now you are. You take off in a sprint, averting the spears that seem never ending. The dock curves a couple times, and at one point, you desperately jumped over the gap of water between two parts of the dock. If you hadn’t done that and tried to only run on the ground, you would’ve surely gotten hit, cause Undyne soon started to throw spears at where she thought you were going, not just where you were.

As you run, you look up at her. She never falters, always keeping up with you, despite the fact that you don’t even hear her armour clanging together like it did before. Then again, so many thoughts are racing in your head, it’s a wonder you can even concentrate. Most of your thoughts are “don’t die” and “don’t get hurt.” Some of them are “just stop” and “why even try, she’ll get me eventually.” And a couple are “FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK.”  

Uhhhh, yeah, a lot of different thoughts were occurring at that moment.

After almost fucking tripping over your own goddam feet, you make it to the part of the dock where it has returned to a normal, straight line. On the path, the cliff on my left ends; however, the spears do not. Once the dock ends and actual land begins again, you run into the same grass you did before.

Literally. You ran into the grass.

You stop halfway between the area full of green. You hope that Undyne can no longer see you, and thinks that you got away. You perk up your ears, trying to listen for her, but it doesn’t help. You try to slow down your breathing, but it seems impossible, so you put a hand over your mouth, attempting to silence yourself. Spears continue to be thrown above you, but soon enough, they stop.

That’s when you hear her.

Her footsteps are harsh stomps, the sound resonating throughout the place. Your eyes widen as you realise that the sound is getting louder and louder. Soon enough, she gets so close to you that you can see some of her armour. Thankfully, she’s too tall to see through the grass. Her head and upper part of her chest are above the grass, but that doesn’t stop you from almost crumpling down to the ground in fear. Your knees are weak, and you can’t seem to stop panting.

_Fuck, fuck, please don’t see me, don’t notice me, don’t hear me._

You hear a muffled, devilish laugh behind the helmet, and all you can think is that you’re about to fucking die. The pieces of grass right next to you shift. Above you, you see something. Something being held by Undyne. Uh, actually, make that a someone. She’s holding him up by the collar of his shirt, and he’s turned his head towards her with an apologetic, shy grin.

You’re surprised that MK isn’t screaming about how Undyne is holding him.

You hear her grunt in disappointment before dropping him back down to the ground. Then, you watch as her armour disappears from sight, and hear her footsteps grow quieter until they eventually come to a stop. Unnerved, you run out of the rest of the grass and lean against the wall to your left. Your breathing is starting to slow down, but you can feel your hands shaking due to what just happened.

“Yo, did you see that?!” You look up at MK, who is slighting jumping up and down from sheer jubilation. Breathless, you nod your head and feel beads of sweat run down your forehead from running.

“Undyne just...” He pauses, confirming what just happened.

“TOUCHED ME!!!” He shouts loudly, his smile the biggest you’ve ever seen it. You’re sure that if he had arms, he would be flailing them right now.

“I’m not washing my shirt ever again!!!” All of a sudden, he gives you a look of what you assume to be pity.

“Man, are you unlucky. If you were standing just a _little_ bit to the left...!!”

_Jesus, if I was standing a little bit to the left I would’ve fucking died!!_

“Y-yeah, w-well, I’m a p-pretty unlucky person.” You stutter a little, still quite shaken up, even though your breathing has now gone back to normal. You run a hand through your hair as MK continues to talk. 

“Yo, don’t worry! I’m sure we’ll see her again!”

_Fuck. That._

“I’m s-sure we will.” Seeing as how Undyne is the head of the royal guard, she will probably stop at nothing to capture you. MK stops talking and runs off ahead, falling again and immediately getting back up. He runs away as you force yourself to not ask him if he’s okay. After all, he said not to worry and that it happens all the time. 

_Goddammit, that makes me feel so bad for him!!_

You take a deep breath and start walking again in the direction that MK went in. You pass another echo flower before once again meeting up with Sans, who is leaning against the wall next to a telescope. You walk up to him. 

“Hey, Sans. What’s up?”

“i’m thinking about getting into the telescope business. it’s normally 50,000g to use this premium telescope, but, since i know you, you can use it for free. howzabout it?” He winks, which sort of makes you weary about using this telescope. It’s probably a prank, like that thing where you put paint on the lens or whatever and then you have paint around your eye, but you don’t know that you do.

_Ha ha, holy shit, I think that’s what he’s actually doing._

“No, thanks. If it’s that expensive, I’d probably break it on accident and I can’t risk that.” He shrugs.

“whatever you say, kid.”

“Hey, how’d you get here so fast? Now that I think about it, there’s no way that you’d get here before me. I took the only path here. Unless there are other ways here... are there?” The thought pops in your head and you don’t stop yourself from saying it out loud to Sans, for you’re truly curious.

“i dunno. but i got here by...”

“magic.” He winks again.  

“Magic? As in that teleporting thing you do?” 

“maybe.” 

“That’s so cool!” You exclaim, realising that last time, you freaked out and didn’t get to express how amazed you were by the fact that teleportation can occur.

“heh, thanks, kid.” 

You smile at him and say goodbye, taking a sharp left into a small room (well, it’s technically a cave, but room sounds nicer). In the room is none other than the Nice Cream vendor, standing next to his cart. His long bunny ears are flopped and he’s frowning, staring blankly at the ground. When he looks up and sees you, he smiles and greets you.

“Hey, nice to see you again.” He kindly says to you. His normal upbeat attitude is gone, but he still sounds a little happy. Just not as much as usual. 

“You, too. Uh, anything bothering you?” You ask him, wanting to know what’s wrong. He looks back down at the ground, frowning. 

“Well, it’s just that I relocated my store, but there are still no customers...” His voice is quiet. 

_Aw, man, this poor guy._  

When he was in Snowdin, he got barely any customers since he’s selling ice cream and it was cold. It’s not cold in Waterfall, but like you said before, it’s not hot. It’s... room temperature, you guess. Still, you would think that people would be getting Nice Cream. Though, he is in a sort of secluded spot. Perhaps it’s too hard for people to find him?

“I-I’m sorry, dude.” You don’t really know what else to say. 

“It’s okay.” He sighs. Suddenly, his smile returns, and his ears go back to their upright selves. “Fortunately, I’ve thought of a solution: Punch cards!! Every time you buy a Nice Cream, you can take a punch card from the box!” He looks at a small yellow box. You do, too, and notice that it’s the same colour as the bright yellow stripes on the umbrella attached to the cart and his yellow shirt.

“If you have three cards, you can trade them for a free Nice Cream!” He seems really proud about it. 

“Hey, that’s really smart! And, in that case, I would like one Nice Cream, please.” He beams at you.

“Super! What flavour?” He asks as he slides open the top of the cart. 

“Strawberry.” It’s the flavour you got last time, and you absolutely love it. He grabs one out of the cart and hands it to you, along with a punch card. The design of the wrapper of the Nice Cream is adorable! It’s the same neon blue as his fur, and the exterior of the Nice Cream, and since this flavour is strawberry, there are minuscule strawberries all over the solid color. The punch card is also quite cute. It’s white, with little stars drawn all over it. It has the words “Nice Cream” written in big, silver letters, and there is also a little Nice Cream in every corner. You hand him the appropriate amount of gold, which, by the way, you keep in the inner pocket of your backpack. It’s very handy.

“Thanks, mister.” You say to him.

“Oh, no need for that. Just call me Kendall.” He reaches out his hand towards you. You put the Nice Cream in your left hand and shake his right hand. 

“Molly.”

“Molly... I like it!” He exclaims, letting go of your hand. You blush a bit.

“I-I like your name, too. Uh, a-anyway, thanks again, _Kendall_.” You say, emphasising his name.

“You too, _Molly_.” And with that, you walk away.

_I don’t understand, what’s up with people complimenting me on my name? It’s not like it’s good or anything..._

Like you’ve said before, monsters are nice. Too nice.

You unwrap the the Nice Cream, looking at what the wrapper says before shoving it into your backpack. Last time, you got “Are those claws natural?” Obviously, it was meant for a monster, but you still appreciated the gesture. You read the new saying inside your head. 

_Love yourself! I love you!_

_Love myself? Is this thing fucking serious? I don’t..._  

Never mind.  

Like you said before, you appreciate the gesture. You shove the wrapper in your backpack and begin eating the Nice Cream as you walk around. The area that you have now made it to is extremely different from the other parts of Waterfall that you have been to. You walk on soft dirt that is black, with tufts of black grass with outlines of bright dark and light blue. Surrounding the ground is water that is extremely luminescent. It’s light blue colour is bright, and there is plantation, such as lily pads, scattered across the water. It’s very... aesthetic. Extremely beautiful, but rare to come across, which makes it all the more exquisite.

You freaking love it. 

You walk slowly, taking in as much of the view as you can. As you walk, you delightfully consume the Nice Cream. And, you listen to a passing conversion that some echo flowers are repeating to you. You’ve only heard two parts of the conversation (you can see the third echo flower up ahead, you think it’s near the entrance to a new place), when the phone begins to ring again. You take off your backpack and take it out, putting your half-eaten, now semi-circle, Nice Cream in your left hand. You answer the phone.

“Hello?” 

“HELLO! THIS IS PAPYRUS!!!” 

“Hey, Papyrus. What’s up?”

“REMEMBER WHEN I ASKED YOU ABOUT CLOTHES?” 

“Uh, yeah.”

“WELL, THE FRIEND WHO WANTED TO KNOW... HER OPINION OF YOU IS VERY...”

“MURDERY.”  

_I knew it!!! I knew he was talking about Undyne!!_

“BUT, I BET YOU KNEW THAT ALREADY!”

“Sadly, yes.” 

“AND BECAUSE YOU KNEW THAT, I TOLD HER WHAT YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE WEARING! A PINK SHIRT! BECAUSE I KNEW, OF COURSE, AFTER SUCH A SUSPICIOUS QUESTION, YOU WOULD OBVIOUSLY CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES!” 

_Yeah, I did, and it literally did not help me at all._  

“Yep, I did, in fact, do that.”

“YOU ARE SUCH A SMART COOKIE! THIS WAY, YOU’RE SAFE AND I DIDN’T LIE!!! NO BETRAYAL ANYWHERE!!! BEING FRIENDS WITH EVERYONE IS EASY!!!” After that, he hangs up the phone. 

_Is he worried about that? Messing up and losing Undyne or I as a friend? Aw, Papyrus..._

You sigh and put the phone back in you bag, putting the bag back on and continuing to eat the Nice Cream. You make your way to the third echo flower, and then go on to the next room. The water continues, but it has lost its luminescent glow. It now just looks like plain water. As you walk down the path, you meet a new monster named Onion-San. He’s a big, yellow octopus-like monster. You feel bad for him, cause he tells you how all of his friends are in an aquarium, and he can’t go with them because now the aquarium is full. He seems really sad about it, but then he mentions how Undyne is going to fix everything.

Probably best if he doesn’t know that you’re a human. 

You leave the room, telling him that you’ll see him later, which you don’t know if you will. Whilst sinking back into the water, he tells you to have a good time in a Waterfall. 

_What a sweetheart._  

In this room, the water has stopped. On the wall, there are more signs. Once you read what they say, you write down in your book what a Boss Monster is. After that, you finish your Nice Cream, putting the stick in the wrapper in your backpack. You then walk past a large statue of a monster. You can’t tell what kind it is. It’s sitting on the ground and has horns, but that is it’s only distinguishable feature. Above it is a large hole, with drops of rain that fall upon the top of the statue’s head.

A few feet in front of you, you see a garbage can full of umbrellas. An idea pops into your head, causing you to run up to the umbrellas. You grab a salmon one and run back to the statue. You open the umbrella and put the handle of it into the nook of the statue’s arm. It fits perfectly, allowing the statue to have shelter from the rain. Suddenly, you hear something.

A music box. 

You don’t know what it’s playing, but it’s a sweet tune. You can’t help but smile as you walk away from the statue. You walk back up to the can of umbrellas and grab a green one, seeing that it is raining up ahead.

_Wait, how does it rain underground???_  

A bit bewildered, you open up the umbrella and begin to walk under the rain. There are puddles here and there, and the water is perfectly reflective. It’s very beautiful.

This whole place is beautiful.

Unexpectedly, to your left, you see MK, standing in the one spot where it is not raining. 

“Hey, MK.” You say, stopping. 

“Yo, you got an umbrella? Awesome!” He compliments you, admiring the umbrella.

“Uh, yeah. Hey, you wanna, like, join me, or whatever?” You feel bad that he’s stuck in the rain.

“Yeah, thanks!” You walk over to him, and he walks underneath the umbrella. 

“Let’s go!” He declares. You nod your head, and you both begin to walk in silence. You don’t really have anything to talk about. You mean, do you even have anything in common with him? You’re about to take a right when he starts up a conversation.

“Man, Undyne is _sooooo_ cool.” Well, you guess you both know about Undyne. That’s a start.

“Y-yeah, totally.” You stammer. Just talking about her makes you scared.  

“She beats up bad guys and _never_ loses.”  

“Wow, t-that’s quite a-a feat.” 

_Does that mean Undyne_ is _going to kill me?_

You wish you would talk about something else.

“If I was a human, I would wet the bed every night, know she was gonna beat me up!” He laughs. You just nod your head. 

“So, one time, we had a school project where we had to take care of a flower.”

_Yay, good, something not Undyne-related._

“The king—we had to call him ‘Mr.Dreemurr’—volunteered to donate his own flowers. He ended up coming to the school and teaching us about responsibility and stuff.”

“That was pretty nice of him.” You still don’t know how you feel about the king, but this definitely makes him sound more like a good guy. 

“Yeah, it was. It got me thinking... Yo! How cool would it be if Undyne came to school?!”

_Great, more Undyne._

“She could beat up all the teachers!” At that statement, you stop walking and give him a worried look. 

“Ummm, maybe she wouldn’t beat up all the teachers... She’s too cool to ever hurt an innocent person!” You smile at him and continue to walk.

_Does that mean that I’m not innocent? Or, rather, that I’ve done something wrong?_

You two take a left, and now it has stopped raining, but you keep the umbrella up. You don’t know why, but you just really like umbrellas. MK doesn’t seem to mind. You take an exit, and now you are outside of the caves. You look to your left and immediately stop walking. So does MK.

“Wow...” You can’t help but awing aloud. In the distance is a humongous, gorgeous castle. It’s cream, with light blue tops of the turrets. Against the black sky with stars (the sparkling stones) shining brightly, it’s a magnificent bright that seems only fit for a painting. 

“Cool, isn’t it? That’s the king’s castle.” MK explains. 

“It’s _really_ cool. Wow...” You repeat yourself.  

After a few more moments, MK speaks again. 

“C’mon, we can’t stand here all day.” He runs off ahead. Knowing that he’s right, you catch up with him, and you go into a new section of caves. It’s still raining.

You stop in front of a very steep cliff. 

“Yo, this cliff is way too steep!” MK states. 

_Yeah, I can tell._

“Yo, you wanna see Undyne, right?” 

_Hell no!!!_  

“Uhhhhhhh, I-I mean, I guess?”

“Put up your umbrella and climb on my shoulders!” He says whilst turning around and crouching down. 

“W-what?! No way! You d-definitely wanna see her m-more than me! A-and, besides, the bottom o-of my shoes are all dirt...y.” You look at the bottom of your boots and see that there is no dirt on them. 

_The fuck?_  

“C’mon, it’s fine!” He turns towards you and smiles.

_This guy..._

“Alright.” You close the umbrella and put it in another trash can full of umbrellas that’s right next to you. Drops of rain begin to fall on your head, but you don’t really mind it. Yeah, you didn’t really want to get wet, but you don’t care. 

“You ready?” You ask him. He nods.

“Ok...” You quietly say. You step onto his right shoulder with your right foot as gingerly as you can. You do the same with your left foot and instantly grab onto the edge of the cliff. Grunting, you pull yourself up, getting dirt on your jeans. You stand up and knock off the dirt on your pants. You look over the edge at MK, who is also standing back up.

“Wait, how will you get up here?” You inquire. You can’t help him get up here. He’s too far down, and he doesn’t have any hands for you to grab.

“Yo, you go on ahead. Don’t worry about me! I always find a way to get through!” He smiles confidently before turning around and running off, falling again. He gets back up and runs away. 

That was really nice of him. 

You turn around and take off your backpack, grabbing a hair tie out of it. As you walk, you put your wet hair up. After a minute, the rain has finally stopped. You step onto a long, wooden bridge. There is one just like it to your right, except that one is a darker blue than this one. 

Abruptly, a bright, luminescent blue circle appears on the wood in front of you. Another appears to your left, then to your right, and instantaneously, eight more surround you. You recognise this colour of blue, and before you can even react, spears arise from the circles in a curt manner. If you had been standing on top of the circles, you would’ve gotten stabbed, end of story. You gasp, and the spears disappear just as Undyne appears on your right, on the other bridge.

_Here we go again._

You run.

The circles continue to appear below your feet, so you don’t dare to stop moving. Just like before, Undyne keeps up with you, never losing you. Sometimes only three or four spears jump out of the ground, but most of the time, almost seven surround you, causing you to have to stop brusquely a lot. You almost run into some of the spears. Not only is the dodging part difficult, but this bridge is a sort of maze. It branches off into many different paths, forcing you to have to really pay attention to where you’re going and where the spears are.

After almost a minute, you run into a big piece of the bridge. The spears are appearing more than ever, so you run to where the bridge goes back to its normal size. You slow down a bit, seeing that the spears are decreasing.

And you know why.

The end of this path of the bridge... it’s a dead end. You stop yourself from running over the edge.

_No no no no no!_

“Shit...” You curse under your breath. You turn around, walking speedily. The spears have now stopped completely, which really, _really_ worries you. 

_Fuck, this is, fuck, this can’t be a dead end! I can’t walk this way either, or else Undyne will... Undyne._  

Speak of the devil.

You stop walking once you see her. She slowly walks towards you and you, frozen in fear, just watch her do so. 

“N-no, p-please...” You can barely even hear what you just said. She raises her right hand. You feel your heart racing. Three spears come down from the sky (or ceiling, don’t know what to call it since you’re underground) and disconnect the part of the bridge that is between you and Undyne. The piece of the bridge that you are standing upon starts to fall, and you come along with it, your feet leaving it. 

You scream, reaching your hand out to grab something, anything.

The last thing you see is Undyne’s helmet. Then...

Darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the eleventh chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time is Human by Rag’n’Bone Man! I’m really excited to write this upcoming chapter, and I hope you enjoy it and that you enjoyed this one! Byeeeeee!


	12. If You Do Kill Me, Make Sure To Bury Me Face Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undyne scares you a lot. Thank God for Monster Kid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooooo, I hope that everyone is doing well! Almost end of the school year, yaaaay!!! Thank goodness, finally. I also hope that everyone will have a good mother’s day tomorrow! I’ll talk to you guys soon, hope you like this chapter, byeeee!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_“It sounds like it came from over, here...”_  

_“Oh! You’ve fallen down, haven’t you... Are you okay?”_

_“Here, get up.”_

_..._

_“Chara, huh? That’s a nice name. My name is...”_

_..._

_..._

 

_..._

 

 

 

You open your eyes. You’re not fully awake yet, so you’re not sure what you’re looking at.

_Oh, wait._

“Oh my god!!” You jerk up, and look back upwards to confirm what you’re looking at. 

_Shit, the bridge, it collapsed, and Undyne, she, oh fuck._

You force yourself to take a couple of deep breaths. If you don’t, then you’re going to start hyperventilating.

_It... it’s fine. Well, not really. Not at all, actually. But I’m alive, aren’t I? Thanks to these... flowers?!_  

You look down at what you’re sitting upon and, once again, a bed of golden flowers has come to your rescue. 

_What’s up with them somehow being wherever I fall? It’s very coincidental._

You take one more deep, shaky breath before standing up. Just like the last time you fell, you check inside your backpack and make sure that your phone is okay, which it is. You also touch your now dry hair, feeling a couple of waves that have now formed. 

_Ugh._  

After that, you finally take in your surroundings. To your left is a long, ongoing waterfall, and the ground, which is actually a shallow layer of water, surrounding the patch of flowers has pieces of the broken bridge that miraculously did not hit you. You slowly walk off the flowers and into the water. It only comes up to your knees, but it’s still a little difficult to walk through it.

As you slowly walk in the water, you notice huge piles of... garbage? Like, literal garbage. You can tell that the contents in the heaps have been used, or even misused.

You’re extremely grateful that it doesn’t smell like trash. 

You make your way through the garbage-filled area, having to fight a very mad dummy and being saved by Napstablook. After that, you visited him at his house, which was really nice. And, it turns out that he’s, like, this DJ. You listened to some of his music and it was really freaking good!!

In addition, you laid on the ground with Napstablook whilst “feeling like garbage”. You don’t know, you didn’t really feel like garbage (haha you  _always_ feel like garbage), but you felt really in tune with your emotions. It was crazy weird, but cool, too. 

Once you did all that (and played this game with racing snails that Napstablook was in charge of), you continued on your through Waterfall. As you walked away, you fixed your ponytail, making it a little higher than before. You usually don’t wear your hair up, only when you’re running around and stuff, but right now, you feel like it should be up. 

You’re not sure why. Just a feeling. 

As you ventured onward, you came across many others, such as a turtle monster. He was very, very old, wearing a typical adventuring outfit that reminded me of Indiana Jones. His right eye was closed, and he held a magnifying glass in his right hand. He also had a wooden cane in his left hand and a small, white goatee.

So, this monster (Gerson, you soon learned) was running a shop, but he let you ask him some questions, and you got many answers from him. Like, what that symbol was that was all around the Ruins. 

“Eh? You don’t know what that is?” He responded when you asked him what it was, pointing to the one that was conveniently on the wall behind him. You shook your head no.

“What are they teaching you kids in school nowadays...?” He joked, laughing. You smiled back, seeing that he, just like all the other monsters, doesn’t know that you’re a human. 

“That’s the Delta Rune, the emblem of our kingdom: The Kingdom... of Monsters.” He laughed again. “Great name, huh? It’s as I always say... Ol’ King Fluffybuns can’t name for beans!” 

_King Fluffybuns, huh? That certainly makes the king sound like a sweet guy._

“So, what’s it mean? The, uh, emblem.” You asked.

“That emblem actually predates written history. The original meaning has been lost to time. All we know is that the triangles symbolise is monsters below, and the winged circle above them symbolises... somethin’ else.” He explained, pausing for dramatic affect.

“Like what?” You wanted to know what it all means.

“Most people say it’s the ‘angel’ from the prophecy.”

“The prophecy??” At this point, you were getting a little annoyed by him telling you everything so slowly.

“Oh, yeah. The prophecy. Legend has  it, an ‘angel’ who has seen the surface will descend from up above and bring us freedom.” When he said that, you wondered if maybe, just maybe, the ‘angel’ could be you. “Lately, the people have been taking a bleaker outlook, callin’ that winged circle ‘The Angel of Death’. A harbinger of destruction, waitin’ to ‘free’ us from this mortal realm.” 

_Oof. That’s messed up._

“That’s... definitely a problem. What’s your take on the meaning of the circle?” You thought that perhaps this guy would have a completely different idea. 

“In my opinion, when I see that little circle, I jus’ think it looks neat!” He laughed again.

“Oh, haha.” You forced yourself to laugh.

Moving on, you left the self-made shop, writing down all the information you learned. On the walls you walked past, there were even more signs with more information that you also wrote down. One of them said that seven of the humans most powerful magicians casted a spell to create the barrier. 

That made you realise something.

_That’s why the king needs seven human souls! Not only to become a god, but to destroy the barrier completely!_

You had already known that he needed more than just one soul to break the barrier, but now it makes sense why he needs specifically seven.

The further you walked, the more echo flowers appeared. They were beginning to become numerous, which you liked very much. They’re just so refined. 

Also, the further you walked, the more dark it became. You soon found yourself in complete darkness, except for a path of luminescent grass. You followed it, having to tap on mushrooms that you saw along the way to reveal the next path of grass. Then, you had to do that again, except the mushrooms would only give you brief periods of light, so you had to quickly make your way to the end of that area.

Anyway, after you did all that, you were in a place with no light at all, not even any of the tiny, aquamarine mushrooms. You sigh, giving in to finally taking out your phone from your backpack and turning the flashlight on. You didn’t want to do that since you didn’t want to be wasting your phone’s battery, but you’re left with no choice. 

If you’re being completely honest, the dark scares you, and before anyone pokes fun at that, it’s for a good reason. You’re not scared of make-believe monsters, as in the ones you imagined as a child that were going to eat you, that might be lurking in the dark. When it’s completely dark, you feel defenceless, like you’re susceptible to death. You always feel a million pairs of eyes upon you, and silence makes it a hundred times worse. 

That’s only when you’re awake and walking around, though. If you’re going to sleep, the dark is okay.

Anyway.

You point your new source of light downwards, a foot or two in front of you. That way you won’t trip on anything. You walk lento, just in case you run into something that you don’t see. After only a couple of seconds, your flashlight is pointed towards a lone echo flower. You walk up to it. Upon further inspection, behind it is a wall, and to your left is more of that fucking grass that you guess you’ll have to walk through again. 

_Ughhhhhhh._

You look back at the flower that is eerily silent.

“Got anything to say to me?” You say to it. Usually, when you walk up to them, they say whatever they’ve last heard, but this one is different.

You don’t think it’s a good different. 

“B e h i n d  y o u .” The flower whispers out steadily. It’s voice is almost threatening.

The two words make you very worried about turning around. But, nevertheless, you turn off the flashlight on my phone, your grip on it becoming much firmer, and turn around. If there is someone behind me, you’d rather not shine the flashlight in their eyes. It might make them angry at you.

Or, in this case, even more angry at you then they already am. 

As if on cue, light returns to the room, and you are able to see none other than Undyne herself, staring you down at the entrance of the room. She takes a few steps towards you, leaving much distance between the two of you. A moment of silence passes before she speaks.

“Seven. Seven human souls.” Her voice is rough, deep, full of animosity and determination.

It scares the living hell out of you.

“With the power of seven human souls, our king...” 

“King Asgore Dreemurr.” 

_Oh._

_Oh shit._

_Holy fucking shit._

_It all clicks together, it all makes fucking sense._

_I’m so stupid, I’m such a fucking idiot, how much dumber can I get?! Asgore, the person Toriel warned me about, he’s the king, he’s the person that wants my soul, that wants to kill me. It all make sense._  

“... will become a god.” She finishes her sentence. You stop yourself from dropping your phone in shock.

“With that power, Asgore can finally shatter the barrier. He will finally take the surface back from humanity and give them back the suffering and pain we have endured.”

_Jesus._  

“Understand, human? This is your only chance at redemption.” You do understand her, but you stand motionless, your big eyes staring back at her. Your brain tells you to run, but your legs refuse to listen. 

“Give up your soul or I’ll tear it from your body.”

_Fuck. I don’t... I’m not sure... I think..._

You don’t finish any of your thoughts. You’re too busy watching Undyne go into a battle stance before creating a spear, holding it with both hands. She begins to run towards you and you, scared to death, raise your hands up in a moment of fear and uncertainty of what else to do.

Before she can pierce you with her large, sharp javelin, MK emerges from the grass, standing between you and Undyne.

“Undyne!!! I’ll help you fight!!!” He shouts, making Undyne stop in her tracks. You put down your arms and look at MK, who is turned towards Undyne, but then notices you, cowering against the wall, almost stepping on the echo flower. 

“YO!!! You did it!!!” He seems proud? “Undyne is right in front of you!!! You’ve got front row seats to her fight!!!” He looks between you and Undyne, and becomes a bit bewildered. 

“... wait. Who’s she fighting??” He quietly asks you.

“M-M-Monster Kid, I-“ You don’t even get to finish your poorly thought out explanation, because Undyne makes the spear go away, freeing her hands so that she could grab MK’s ear and pull him away from you.

“H-hey!!” He cries out in surprise and pain. Undyne hastily drags him away, stomping loudly.

“You aren’t going to tell my parents about this, are you?” After MK says that, they take a left and disappear from your sight.

This time you do drop to the ground.

Your phone falls out of your hand before you. Kneeling down on the ground, you feel a couple of tears spill from your eyes.

_Dammit!_

You wipe my face furiously, closing your eyes.

_Stop, stop crying, it’s over, she’s gone._

_But soon she’ll be back._

Your thoughts contradict each other. Every time you try to calm yourself down, you can’t help but think about the bad things. It always makes you feel worse.

You allow a few more tears to fall. Then, you blink back the rest of them, wiping your face again and standing up. You also take a couple of necessary deep breaths.

_Thank God for MK. I’ll have to thank him later._  

You take one last deep breath before picking up your phone, putting it in your pocket and continuing on. You turn and walk through the grass, pushing against it until you’re out.

_Wow._

The new room is just... wow. 

Beautiful.

The walls are black, which makes it feel like it’s dark, yet it’s not, which is almost comforting. There are fireflies (or, the equivalent of fireflies in the Underground) flying about, and there are so many echo flowers, along with the luminescent grass. A path has been created, but on your right and left side is black dirt with the blueish grass and various echo flowers.

You’re captivated by the beauty of this room.

You walk at a slow pace, taking in the whole room. As you walk, the echo flowers on the path repeat a conversation that you had begun to hear earlier. It was a sweet conversation, with two friends saying their wishes to each other. At the last echo flower, you smiled at the pleasant conversation.

You are about to leave this room when you hear another echo flower, one that isn’t on the path but on the dirt right next to it, say something different than you’ve ever heard any of them say before.

“What is your wish, miss?”

You stop walking and turn towards the echo flower.

“What?” You question aloud. This is different.

“I said: What is your wish, miss?” 

_Oh._

You walk onto the dirt, right in front of the echo flower.

“Are you, um, talking to me?” You quietly say.

“Yes, miss.”

_What???_

“Oh. I-I didn’t know that echo flowers could, uh... talk.”

“Of course we can talk, miss. We repeat all that we hear. But it is rare for one of us to speak on our own volition.”

“Oh.” You repeat.

“So, you want to know my wish?” You ask it.

“That is correct, miss.”

“But... why?” It confuses you why this little flower would want to know what you wish for. 

“My purpose is to know the wish of everyone.”

“Um, okay. I guess I wish, uh... to leave and get back above ground.” You say whilst shrugging. You’re not sure what you’re supposed to say.

“No, miss.”

“What?”

“I would like to know your deepest wish, the one your heart desires.”

_Is this thing serious?_

You look at it blankly, thinking about what it just said. 

“Okay. I... I wish...” You speak thoughtfully, describing the contents of your wish to the flower. You have never been asked such a question, so your words spill out as you think them. Hell, you’re even surprised by some of the things you say. By the time you stop talking, you hear the echo flower begin to freaking cry.

“Hey, wait, no, please don’t cry, what’s wrong?” You hurriedly ask it.

“I’m sorry, miss. Your wish is full of such sadness and longing that I cannot help but sympathise with you.” 

_Well damn._

“Jeez, I... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad for me.” You murmur. 

_Please don’t._

“It is not your fault, miss.” The echo flower’s cries then go away. 

“I appreciate you sharing your wish with me.” It thanks you.

This flower is too nice.

“No problem, I guess. Sorry again. Goodbye.” You turn away, about to walk out when the flower says one last thing to you. 

“I truly hope for your wish to come true, miss.” 

“... thanks. Me, too.” You walk out of the room. The next place contrasts the last room a lot. There are deep purple stalagmites and stalactites all around, and this room is merely a dark purple bridge to the entrance of the next section of Waterfall. Under you, you can see only darkness.

You want to quickly and carefully cross this thing. 

You cautiously begin to walk on the bridge, noticing a hill-like pile of dirt that leans against the right side of the bridge. It’s not very wide, and it’s really steep, having a strong decline. Plus, you can’t even see where it stops. You wonder how it got there. You look away from it and look back ahead of you, on one of the last few planks of the bridge when behind you, you hear light footsteps. And then, a voice.

“Yo!” 

_Oh no._

You stop and turn around, seeing MK. He runs up to you. He seems a bit conflicted, which is how you also feel right now, cause you think Undyne may have explained to him, well, you know...

Your situation.

“Yo, I know I’m not supposed to be here, but I wanna ask you something.” He says, looking away for a second.

“Okay.” You don’t know what else to say. He sighs.

“Man, I’ve never had to ask anyone this before... umm... yo, you’re human, right?” He laughs at the end.

“Y-Yeah.” 

“Man, I knew it! Well, I mean, I know it now... Undyne told me, um, ‘stay away from that human’.” 

_There it is._

“So, like, ummm... I guess that makes us enemies or something.” He sadly says. 

_What?_  

“But, I kinda stink at that, ha ha. Yo, say something mean so I can hate you? Please.” You don’t want this.

“What? I-I could never do that!” You look at him in disbelief. You don’t want to be enemies with him. He’s so nice.

“Yo, what? So I have to do it? Here goes nothing...” Before you can tell him how you don’t have to be enemies, he speaks.

“Yo, I... I hate your guts.” You stare at the ground, upset. Like you said before, you don’t want this, you don’t like this. Just cause you’re a human doesn’t mean that you can’t be friends!

“Man, I... I’m such a turd.” He sighs. You look back up at him and he is also upset, you think mostly with himself.

“No, you’re not, MK.” You sternfully say. All he does is shake his head and sigh again.

“I’m... I’m gonna go home now.” He turns around, walking away. Like always, he trips, about to face plant. But, that doesn’t happen this time.

Instead, he tries to keep his balance, and, in that attempt, he falls to his left. He’s right next to the hill thing, his left foot landing on it, then his right foot. He turns, facing to your right and he is just barely able to stop himself from sliding further down the hill. He stops at the very top of it, in a sort of position that makes it look like he is in the middle of taking a step, since the hill is so steep and his right foot is very in front of his left. Plus, his back is still straight up.

Any wrong move and he’s gone.  

“Yo, w-w-wait! Help! I tripped!” He shouts as you scream out his name. You run over to him, kneeling on the part of the bridge in front of him. 

“Don’t worry.” You tell him. You get as close to the edge as you can without falling off. Then, you reach out to him, barely able to grab on to him. You put one arm around his upper back and one around his lower back. You then begin to pull, slowly backing up as you do so. Once you get him close enough to the bridge, MK steps upwards, climbing off the hill and back onto the bridge.

_Thank god._

You get up, standing right to next him.

“Are you okay?!” You ask him, hoping that this time he will give you an answer.

“Yeah, yeah, thanks.” He says whilst turning to you, smiling gratefully. You would’ve smiled, too, if you hadn’t looked behind him and saw someone you hadn’t realised had been there the whole time that accident occurred.

MK notices you looking behind him and turns around, facing Undyne. She takes a step towards you.

“Y... y... yo... dude. If... If y-you wanna hurt my friend... you’re gonna have to get through me, first.” He says, first quiet and stuttering, but at the end, back to his normal volume and confident. Your eyes widen at the pure surprise of him standing up to Undyne, his role model. 

She feels the same way.

She freezes, taking two steps backwards before turning around and walking away. MK turns back around and faces you again.

“She’s gone... yo, you really saved my skin. Guess being enemies was just a nice thought, haha.” You smile back at him, seeing that this means that he will continue to be nice to you.

“We’ll just have to be friends instead.”

_Oh._

_Oh!!!_  

You weren’t really calling him your friend cause even though you felt like he was your friend, you didn’t want to call him that in case he didn’t actually like you (then again, he did just call you his friend when he was talking to Undyne). 

Your smile widens.

“I’d like that very much, MK. Oh, and, thanks for saving me.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiles.

“...man, I should _really_ go home. I bet my parents are worried sick about me!” He says after a moment of silence, turning around.

“Later, dude!” He runs off, not tripping at all this time. You sigh, thankful that he’s okay. And that you’re still friends.

You turn around and walk away from the bridge, having to cross one more smaller bridge before coming up to a dead end, where your only option is to turn left and go into a humongous cave. The top of it has spikes everywhere, and on the apex of the cave is once again Undyne, her back turned towards you.

“Seven.” Her voice echos. You look up at her, scared about what she has planned now.

“Seven human souls and King Asgore will become a god.” That name definitely freaks you out now whenever it’s said. 

“Six. That’s how many we have collected thus far.” You already know all of this.

“Understand? Through your seventh and final soul, this world will be transformed. First, however, as it is customary for those who have made it this far, I shall tell you the tragic tale of our people.” She turns around and faces you. You don’t know what she could tell you that you don’t know yet. You mean, you did read those books and those signs. And you’ve talked to a lot of people. You don’t know what else you can learn.

“It all started, long ago...” 

“...” She doesn’t say anything.

“No, you know what?”

You’rs scared to ask. 

“SCREW IT!” She yells, very fucking loudly, you might add.

“WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU THAT STORY WHEN YOU’RE ABOUT TO DIE?!” 

_Fuck._

In one swift motion, she takes off her helmet, allowing you to finally see her face.

_Woah._

Her skin is a dark, turquoise blue and scaly. Her right eye is a stunning yellow colour, and her other eye is covered by a black eyepatch. Her ears are two small fins that match her skin colour, with also some red that matches her hair colour.

All in all, she’s really pretty.

“You’re standing in the way of everyone’s hopes and dreams! Alphys’s history books made me think humans were cool...”

_Alphys... I swear I’ve heard that name before._  

“... with their giant robots and flowery swordsmen.”

_What._

“But you? You’re just a coward!” She glares at you.

“Hiding behind that kid so that you could run away from me again! And let’s not forget your wimpy goodie-two-shoes-shtick! Oooh! I’m making such a difference by hugging random strangers!” She mocks a smile.

“You know what would be more valuable to everyone? IF YOU WERE DEAD!!!” She goes back to glaring at you.

_... I know._

“That’s right, human! Your continued existence is a crime! Your life is all that stands between us and our freedom! Right now, I can feel everyone’s hearts pounding together! Everyone’s been waiting their whole lives for this moment! But we’re not nervous at all. When everyone puts their hearts together, they can’t lose! Now, human! Let’s end this! Right here, right now! I’ll show you how determined monsters can be! Step forward when you’re ready!” She laughs at the end. You don’t think you could ever be ready to engage in a fight with her, but with no other options, you step forward.

_Oh god._

“That’s it, then! No more running away! HERE I COME!!” She throws her helmet behind her and jumps off the the pinnacle, landing right in front of you. She immediately creates a spear as your soul appears in front of you. She waves the spear over it, giving it a dark green outline.

“As long as you're GREEN you CAN'T ESCAPE! Unless you learn to face danger head-on... You won't last a SECOND against ME!” A spear that matches the colour of the outline of your soul appears in your hands. 

_What the fuck?!_  

Spears begin to come towards you quite quickly. Not sure what else to use the spear for, you block the first spear with the green one in your hands. 

_Oh. Face danger head on. I get it._

You block the rest of the spears with your spear.

“Not bad! Then how about THIS?!” More spears comes towards you and, just like before, you block them. 

“For years, we've dreamed of a happy ending...” She starts. You block again. 

“And now, sunlight is just within our reach!” You block.

“I won't let you snatch it away from us!”

_I’m not trying to!!!_

Block.

She yells in frustration.

“Enough warming up!” Block. She waves the spear over your soul again, getting rid of the outline and your spear, and you barely move out of the way in time to dodge a spear. 

_She said that as long as I’m green, I can’t escape, and I’m not green anymore, so..._  

You fucking run. 

You go past her, my soul going away as you’re sprinting as fast as you can. You go inside the cave, running on a strip of land that acts like a bridge above a small lake. You’re not fast enough, though, because Undyne catches up to you only seconds later, running in front of you and summoning your soul from out of your chest. You’re forced to stop as she gives you soul the green outline again and you are given back the green spear. 

“You won't get away from me this time!” She shouts. 

_We’ll see about that._

You shield yourself from her spears.

“Honestly, I'm doing you a favor...”

_Really, now?!_

Block.

“No human has EVER made it past ASGORE!”

_Fucking hell._

Block. 

“Honestly, killing you now is an act of mercy...!” Block. 

“So stop being so damn resilient!” Block. She gets rid of the green outline again and you run away, your soul and the spear going away. You’re no longer near the lake, and to your left is a giant, electronic sign. In big, red letters, it says: _Welcome To-_

“You’ve escaped from me for the last time!” Undyne runs in front of you, taking yout attention away from the sign. Like before, she gives your soul the green outline and you the green spear. You stop and block her spears, which have become much faster. 

“Alphys told me humans were determined...” 

_There it is again, that name._

Block.

“I see now what she meant by that!” 

_Am I determined? I’m not very sure._

Block.

“But I'm determined, too!” Block.

“Determined to end this RIGHT NOW!” 

_Yeah, I can tell._  

Block. 

“... RIGHT NOW!” Block. 

“... RIGHT... NOW!!” Block. She laughs. Block. 

“NGAHHH!!! DIE ALREADY, YOU LITTLE BRAT!” Her voice is full of so much hatred.

And it’s all directed towards you.

She gets rid of the green outline. You run, yout soul and spear disappearing just like it has been. you read the rest of the sign ( _Welcome To Hotland_ ) as you begin to hear the phone that Toriel gave you ring.

_Not now, Papyrus!!_

You keep on running towards what you guess is Hotland, but before you can truly enter it, Undyne catches back up with you.

“STOP RUNNING AWAY!!!” Your soul appears.

She doesn’t give it the green outline this time.

You run away again, your soul disappearing for what you hope to be the last time. You run into Hotland, the ground orange and hot. The bottom of your feet almost burn. To your left is Sans at another sentry station, sleeping, so you ignore him and keep running. You pass over another small, wooden bridge. Beneath you is lava.

It’s scary and mesmerising all at one. 

You run back onto the ground and realise that Undyne has slowed down greatly, since you can only hear a couple of her footsteps. You turn around and see her barely moving across the bridge. You take a step backwards as she gets to the end of the bridge. 

“Armour... so... hot.” She can barely speak.

“But I can’t... give up!!” She takes one more step.

And then drops.

She faints and falls forward, her arms staying at her side and her chin hitting the ground, keeping her head up. You’re surprised her teeth didn’t just break from such a fall.

_Ummm... what do I do?_

_I guess that I should help her. It’s the right thing to do._  

You turn around and notice a water cooler, a basic one that you would expect to find in an office. You walk over to it, grabbing one of the small, paper cups and filling it with cool water. You go back over to Undyne and kneel down, the heat going through your jeans and almost hurting your knee. Her mouth is somewhat open, so you put the cup next to her mouth, slightly tipping it so that it won’t spill, but enough that she can drink it. 

She drinks all of the water in the cup, and then it fucking evaporates somehow. After a second, she opens her eye and stands back up, looking around. She looks at you as you also stand back up. She looks confused, and in disbelief.

Like when MK stood up to her.

All she does is turn around and walk away. 

You feel that your next thought also just ran across Undyne’s mind.

 

 

_What the hell just happened?!_  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading chapter twelve of I’m Drowning! Wow, twelve chapters. I’m actually not shock, I’m so happy about writing this. The song mentioned this time is Bury Me Face Down by grandson. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I’m really excited for the upcoming chapters because of the new characters that will be introduced! Anyway, thank you so much, talk to you soon!!!
> 
> P.S. I wonder what Molly wished for?? Maybe we’ll find out soon...


	13. This Is All Almost Too Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’ve never been on TV before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!! This chapter update is a little earlier than usual! I’ve been getting a lot of free time, so I’ve been trying to focus on writing! I’m about to go to class, but I just had to post this first. I hope you guys enjoy it!!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_Ring..._

 

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

_Oh._

The phone that Toriel gave you begins to ring again. A couple minutes ago, you couldn’t answer it because you were being fucking chased by Undyne. 

Now you’re not.

You’re still kinda confused about what happened, but you are able to notice that the phone is ringing again, so you go ahead and take it out of your backpack. You lean against the water cooler and run a hand through your hair as you answer the phone.

“Hello?” Your voice is a little strained. You’re still out of breath and tired from running away from Undyne.

“HEY! WHAT’S UP!?” Papyrus asks.

“Uh, you know, the usual... just walking around...” 

You don’t want to tell him that Undyne was just fighting you.

“What about you?” There must be a reason that he called. 

“I WAS JUST THINKING...” 

“YOU, ME, AND UNDYNE SHOULD ALL HANG OUT SOMETIME!” 

_Nooooooo._  

“I THINK YOU WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS!” 

_NOOOOOO._

“LET’S MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER!” He hangs up the phone. 

_Dammit, am I supposed to go over to her house now?!_

_Fuuuuuuuck._  

You decide to wait a couple of hours before going to Undyne’s house. Then, maybe she’ll be a little bit more okay with you. You did help her, after all. Of course, you’re not really expecting her to be friends with you, you totally understand it if she will want to forever hate you.

Just like everyone else. 

At least Papyrus will be there for support. You’re only going to do this for him so if he fucking ditches you or something you will NOT stay. 

You put away the phone and look over at Sans’ sentry station.

_What?_

You were about to go over there and talk to him, but he’s gone. He must’ve done that teleporting thing while you weren’t looking. 

_Ugh, whatever._

You shrug and turn around, walking away from the water cooler. You stop in front of a large laboratory. You know that it’s a laboratory cause it has a sign that says: _Lab_.

Wow, that makes you sound really stupid.

To your right is a path that leads up to a lake, and awaiting is a person in a boat. To your left are two people standing side-by-side a few feet in front of an elevator. The elevator looks like the correct way to go, so you head in that direction.

“Excuse me.” You say to the two monsters in armour. It reminds you of Undyne’s armour, except darker. And, their helmets have different designs than hers. Hers was more like a shark, since it had a design of the teeth of one. The person on the left’s helmet is more like a rabbit, with small, droopy, metal bunny ears. The person on the rights helmet is more like... a bat. Kinda. 

It’s hard to explain.

It’s long and has two small, metal wings. 

Okay, not that hard to explain.

Anyway, you begin to walk towards them, expecting them to turn and let you walk past them, but instead, they do the opposite, standing a little closer together. You stop, taking a small step back.

_Hey!_  

“Sorry... Undyne, like, told us there was totally a human in the area.” The monster on the left says.

_They must be apart of the royal guard. Great. I hope they don’t know that I’m the human._

“So, like, us Royal Guards are blocking off the elevators for now.”

“Ngah! Even if the elevators aren’t working anyway, we’ll do our best, Ms. Undyne!” He suddenly shouts.

_Damn, there must be another way, then._

“Do you know of any other way to, uh... the rest of Hotland?” You ask.

“Well, between you and me, I think you can go through that creepy lab over there.” He nods to the lab.

“Between you, me, and my bro here. I tell him _all_ my secrets.” He continues.

_Did not need to know that._

“Won’t there be someone in there? Like, won’t they get angry at me for going in there?” You don’t want to get in any kind of trouble. 

“I don’t think so. The royal scientist, Dr. Alphys, will probably, like, be okay with it.”

_Alphys._

_Dr. Alphys._

_Now I know where I’ve heard that name before. They were the person that helped build that one puzzle for Papyrus, the one I think that they tampered with. Based off of that, I hope that they like me. It had seemed like they sabotaged it for me. Then again, Undyne seems to be friends with them, so I don’t know._

_By the way, the royal scientist?! They must be really freaking smart!!_  

“Good to know. Thanks.” You turn around and walk over to the entry of the white building. You’re about to knock on the dark salmon door, but it slides open before you can even touch it, revealing a dark room. You sigh and take your phone out of your pocket.

_47%?! Fuck!_  

After this, you’ll stop using it. 

You turn on the flashlight and walk inside, the door sliding shut behind you. Just like last time, you keep the flashlight pointing downwards at the cyan and light green tiled floor.

“Hello? Dr. Alphys?” You call out. You feel really bad about intruding like... this...

You drop your phone. 

_Oh my god._

You had turned to your left, trying to see anything, when your eyes landed upon a giant screen.

With you on it.

You put your hand over your mouth in shock, and the you on the screen does the same thing.

“Is this thing live?!” You accidentally think aloud. You put your hand down and find out that, yes, it is live. It’s really just a close up of your chest to the top of your head, but that doesn’t make it any less unsettling. You’re not sure if it’s recording you just because you’re in this lab, or if it’s been recording you  _this whole time_.

You hope it’s the first option. 

You shakily sigh and pick your phone back up, turning away from the screen with your ugly face on it.

“Dr. Alphys?!” You call out a little louder than last time, taking a few more steps forward. Suddenly, you hear a door slide open in front of you. The lights come back on as you watch a small, yellow dinosaur/lizard monster come out of a door that is a few feet in front of you, to your left. She has a white lab coat that’s buttoned all the way up and a small pair of glasses with oval-shaped lenses on. A small, wide tail protrudes from the bottom of the backside of her coat.

After a couple of seconds, she looks over and notices you. She turns towards you and freezes.

“Oh. My god!” She exclaims in a high pitched voice. She puts her hands (they are like small claws) on the sides of her face and looks around the lab. 

“I didn’t expect you to show up so soon! I haven’t showered, I’m barely dressed, it’s all messy, and...” She trails off, taking a deep breath and looking back at you and setting her arms on her sides. 

“Ummm... h-h-hiya! I’m Dr. Alphys. I’m Asgore’s royal scientist. B-b-but, ahhh, I’m not one of the ‘bad guys’!”

You already knew the first part, and you guess you appreciate her telling yoh the second part.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Molly.” You say before turning off the flashlight on your phone and putting it back in your pocket.

“Oh, I already knew that.”

_What?_

“Excuse me?” You ask her.

“O-Oh! Um, well, I-I already knew your name because ever since you stepped out of the Ruins I’ve, um...” 

“...been ‘observing’ your journey through my console.” She blushes a bit.

_I fucking called it._

When you first stepped out of the Ruins, you felt like someone was watching you, but you assumed it to be Flowey. So, this whole fucking time, you felt like Flowey was watching you. And, sure, maybe he was watching you a couple of times, but now you know who was _really_ watching you. 

“Your fights, your friendships, everything!! I was originally going to stop you, but...”

_Oh, I guess that makes a little more sense why she was watching me. In case I was going to do something bad and she had to tell the king about it._

“Watching someone on a screen really makes you root for them!” She exclaims with a smile, no longer flushed.

“S-So, ahhh, now I want to help you! Using my knowledge, I can easily guide you through Hotland! I know a way right to Asgore’s castle, no problem!”

_Fuck, I never thought about it like that before. I am heading straight to Asgore’s castle, aren’t I? To try and convince him to let me pass through the barrier?_

The thought itself makes you apprehensive.

“Thanks, I’d, uh, really appreciate it!” You tell her. She nods, becoming silent for a moment. 

“Well, actually, umm, there’s just a tiny issue.”

_Oh god._

“As in...” You want her to tell you who it is. 

You already know that it’s going to be someone, there’s always someone.

“A long time ago, I made a robot named Mettaton.” 

_What? That robot Papyrus likes? She fucking_ built _him?! Oh my god, she_ is _crazy smart!!!_  

“Originally, I built him to be an entertainment robot. Uh, you know, like a robot TV star or something?” 

“Yeah, I’ve actually seen some of his stuff since I’ve been down here. So, what’s the issue?” You don’t know how this acting robot could be a problem.

“Recently, I decided to make him more useful. You know, just some small practical adjustments. Like, um...” She seems really nervous.

“Anti... anti-human combat features?”

_What?!_

Your eyes widen.

“Of c-course, when I saw you coming, I immediately decided I have to remove these features! Unfortunately, I may have made a teensy mistake while doing so. And, um...”

“Now he’s an unstoppable killing machine with a thirst for human blood?” She nervously laughs.

_This sucks._

“But, ummm, hopefully, we won’t run into him.”

“Yeah.” You agree with her. Suddenly, the whole room shakes and you hear a loud clang.

“Did you hear something?” Alphys asks you. You nod. The noise and the room shaking happens five more times, one after another. The noise gets louder and louder until you feel like it must be right next to you.

“Oh no.” Alphys quietly says before the lights go out. 

“Ohhhhh yes!!” A sultry male voice shouts. Something crashes into the wall to your left, causing you to take a step back.

You recognise that voice.

“Welcome, beauties...” A single spotlight turns on, pointed towards a tall, rectangular robot, standing in front of a hole in the walk, and staying up by using one leg-like limb that has a wheel as a foot. It has a large panel of small tiles that are kinda supposed to be the face. Some of the tiles are red, spelling out an M, while the rest of the tiles are yellow. There are four knobs below the panel. It has two mechanical arms, one of them holding a microphone.

_Mettaton._  

“To today’s quiz show!!!” A large electronic sign that says _Game Show_ lowers from the ceiling, along with two disco-like lights, all different colors. Rainbow confetti rains down as music plays somewhere. 

“Oh boy! I can already tell it’s gonna be a great show! Everyone give a big hand for our wonderful contestant!” He acts like he’s talking into a camera.

_Oh._

You look to your right and see a camera, the kind used in movies, that has been lowered by strings. It’s pointed towards Mettaton, who claps for... you, maybe? Are you the contestant?

“Never played before, gorgeous?” He faces towards you. Stunned by what’s going on, you barely shake your head no.

“No problem! It’s simple! There’s only one rule...” He puts his left hand up, raising one finger. The colours on his panel change to form the number one in red.

“Answer correctly... or you die!!!” His panel flashes from red to yellow.

_Jesus Christ._

Your soul and the black rectangles appear in front of you. The last time the black rectangles appeared, it was when you fought (and had that one date) with Papyrus, cause after that, you started to talk. For right now, the large, black rectangle is blank. Also, a black square floats above the rectangle. 

“Let’s start with an easy one!” Mettaton says as his tiles go back to yellow and Alphys moves to the the left of the square, a little in front of Mettaton. A question appears on the square, and four answer choices, and a countdown from 30, appear on the large rectangle.

_What is the prize for answering correctly?_

_A. Money, B. Mercy, C. New Car, D. More Questions_

_Uhhhh, wouldn’t it be more questions? Since this is a game show???_

You choose _D_. 

“Right! Sounds like you get it!” Mettaton says as more of the rainbow confetti rains down. 

“Here’s your terrific prize!” The question and answer choices change. 

_What’s the king’s full name?_

_Oh, I know this!_

You immediately choose the one that says: _Asgore Dreemurr._  

“Correct! What a terrific answer!” More confetti. Alphys gives you a thumbs up and a nervous smile. You smile back the same way. 

“Enough about you. Let’s talk about me!” Mettaton dramatically states. 

_What are robots made of?_

_Uhhhhhhh._

You choose the answer that has metal in it ( _Metal &Magic_). It’s correct, thank god.

“Too easy for you, huh? Here’s another easy one for you!” An extremely long question appears. It’s something about trains and how fast their moving. Based on what the question is asking you, you need to do math to find the answer. You notice the countdown going way too fast as you think about the question. With only ten seconds left, you know that the answer has the number thirty-two in it, but there are two answers with the number thirty-two. They have decimals, and it would take too long for you to make such exact calculations. With six seconds left, you look to Alphys for guidance, scared to merely guess.

_Oh wow._  

With her index fingers and thumbs, Alphys signals the letter _D_ to you. You slightly nod and choose _D_.

“Wonderful! I’m astounded, folks!” More confetti.

“Don’t _count_ on your victory...” He emphasises on the word “count”, causing you to guess what the next question is.

_How many flies are in this jar?_

A jar appears on the square, with many a fly roaming around inside of it. You hastily count them and choose an answer.

“Correct! You’re so lucky today!” Confettiiiiiii.

“Let’s play memory game.”

_What monster is this?_  

A snippet of the face of a frog monster appears on the square. You immediately recognise the monster called Froggit, but a glance at Alphys contradicts you. She is spelling out the letter _D_ again, which would be Mettaton.

_How is that...??? You know what, fuck it._

You decide to listen to the smarter person and choose _D_.

“I’m so flattered you remember me!” Confeeeeetti. The image zooms our to reveal Mettaton wearing a shirt with the face of a Froggit on it. 

_That was totally unfair!!!_

“But can you get this one???” 

_Would you smooch a ghost?_

_What._

The countdown counts up, strangely. You look at Alphys, who is giving a very opinionated look to Mettaton. All of the answers are _Heck Yeah_ , so you choose _A_ while blushing.

“Great answer! I love it!!!!!” Coooonfetti.

“Here’s a simple one.” It probably won’t be simple.

_How many letters in the name Mettaton?_

The letter _N_ appears repeatedly after the name, too fast for you to count. The answer choices increase in amount as the letters appear. Without any other options, you look at Alphys. Thanks to her, you choose the correct answer, _C_.

“Of course that was easy for you!!” Confetttttti. 

“Time to break out the big guns!”

_In the dating simulation game “Mew Mew Kissy Cutie”, what is Mew Mew’s favorite food?_

You’re barely able to finish reading the question (and the answers haven’t even appeared) before Alphys begins to talk rapidly, excitedly, and loudly.

“OH OH! I KNOW THIS ONE! IT’S SNAIL ICE CREAM! IN THE FOURTH CHAPTER EVERYONE GOES TO THE BEACH! AND SHE BUYS ICE CREAM FOR ALL OF HER FRIENDS! BUT IT’S SNAIL FLAVOUR AND SHE’S THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS IT! IT’S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THE GAME BECAUSE IT’S ACTUALLY A VERY POWErful message about... friendship and...” She gets quieter and trails off once she realises what she just did.

“Alphys, Alphys, Alphys. You aren’t helping our contestant, are you?” Alphys shakes her head no, guiltily smiling.

“Oooooh!! You should have told me!! I’ll ask a question you’ll be sure to know the answer to!” Mettaton says, making Alphys nervous. The next question appears.

_Who does Alphys have a crush on?_

_..._

_That’s fucking rude!!!!_

Your answer choices are: _Undyne, Asgore, The Human,_ and _I Don’t Know_. You look up at Alphys, who is shaking her hands at you, trying to tell you to stop.

_No need for worrying, Alphys._

You choose the obvious answer: _I Don’t Know._ Because you don’t. And you don’t want to accidentally call Alphys out on her crush. That would be mean.

You try not to be mean. 

“Correct!” Mettaton tells you as Alphys gives you a relieved smile.

“Dr. Alphys has a crush on... the unknowable. You see, Alphys believes there is someone out there. Someone watching her.” Alphys awkwardly smiles. “Someone she thinks is ‘cute’ and ‘interesting’. Hello, theoretical person. Dr. Alphys likes you. Too bad you are not real.” Alphys glares at him as he begins to derisively laugh. 

“H-hey, I’ve done research about this! There are alternate universes out there! S-someday, maybe, I could meet them...” Alphys defends herself.

“You said the exact same thing about ‘Mew Mew Kissy Cutie’. But I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Person, if you’re out there, how about giving us a sign, right now?” The music stops and, as if on cue, a human woman as beautiful and perfect as an angel, garbed in a white dress crashes through the ceiling, landing perfectly in front of Alphys.

...

Ha ha, nah, just fucking around, nothing happened. Wouldn’t that have been fucking insane, though?! 

“That settles that, doesn’t it?” The music comes back on.

“Well, well, well. With Dr. Alphas helping you, the show has no dramatic tension! We can’t go on like this! But! But!!! This was just the pilot episode!! Next up, more drama!! More romance!!! More bloodshed!!!” 

_More what now?!_  

“Until next time, darlings!!!” And with that, Mettatons arms and single leg-wheel-thingie retract inside of him, allowing him to replace the leg thing with a jet... thing, you don’t fucking know, and fly out of here. 

Okay, actually serious this time, he crashed through the damn ceiling and you’re thankful that the pieces were pushed upwards instead of falling inwards. 

The lights, music, sign, and camera all go away, leaving just you and Alphys.

“Well, that was certainly something.” 

Alphys is the first to speak after a moment of silence. You nod.  

“I guess I better go.” You start to walk forward, but Alphys suddenly stops you as you walk right next to her.

“Wait! Wait!” Surprised, you stop and turn to her.

“Let me give you my ph-phone number! Th-then... m-maybe... if you need help, I could...” She stops talking. 

“Okay, that’d be good.” You take off your backpack, holding it in one hand as you take out the phon in the other, ready to type in Alphys’s number for the speed-dial function. You’ve already done that with Papyrus’s number. You look back up to Alphys’s stunned expression.

“Wh... where’d you get that phone!? It’s _ancient_! It doesn’t even have texting.” 

_Tell me about it._

“Uh...”

“W-wait a second, p-please!” Before you can stop her, she takes the phone out of your hand, quickly walking up stairs. After only a minute, she comes back down. 

“Here, I upgraded it for you!”

_Woah..._

She hands you back the phone, or, at least, You think it used to be the phone. It’s modern, too modern, so advanced. Big, like an iPhone 8, but as nice as an iPhone X, even nicer. It’s made of glass, almost see-through, and is wearing a protectable lavender case. And, there’s a little hole in the case, where a light pink heart keychain has been looped through. This whole thing makes you extremely happy. She begins to talk to you as you put the phone in your pocket and put your phone in your backpack, putting it back on.

“It can do texting, items, it’s got a keychain... I even signed you up for the underground’s No. 1 social network! Now we’re officially friends!” She laughs.

“Wow, Dr. Alphys, that’s amazing! I don’t know how I could ever repay you!” You don’t think you ever could. 

“It’s no problem, really. Oh, a-and, you can just call me Alphys.”

“Well, thank you, Alphys!!” Silence falls over you two.

“I’m going to the bathroom.” Alphys blurts out, quickly opening and closing the door to what you suppose to be the restroom, which is where that door leads that she came out of when you first got here.

_She’s cool._  

You take this as an opportunity to explore the lab a little bit. Around you is a large bag of pet food, a refrigerator, a large desk with a computer monitor, notes, piles of papers and unwashed dishes, and the console that is still focused in on your stupid fucking face.

Don’t know if you’ll ever be cool with that. 

You walk upstairs, using an escalator to get there.

By the way, the door to the bathroom has a little sign next to it with a silhouette of Alphys (like, the monster she is). You like it. It’s very gender-neutral. 

Anyway, upstairs, there were bookshelves, filled with books all labelled _Human History_ , though once you looked inside one of them, it was really just manga. 

_Oh my god, is this why Undyne said that she used to think humans were cool because of their giant robots and flowery swordsmen?! Because she read these books and thinks that anime is real?!?!_  

You’re surprised that Alphys didn’t clarify this mistake with Undyne. You sigh and put the book back on the shelf. Besides the books, there are tools hanging on the wall, a machine that has a dense pink liquid seeping out of it and into a bucket (makes you think of tubby custard from Teletubbies, you loved that show as a child), a table with blueprints, a drill, and a chainsaw (why??) on it, a large poster on the wall that depicts a cute, feminine anime character (you think), an armoire, a dresser, another anime poster, and a big, blue box.

Oh, and there was one last poster on the wall. It was a promo poster for Mettaton’s TV premiere. The top right corner was no longer stuck to the wall, and on the flap, in perfect, silver letters read: _Thank you for making my dreams come true._

_Awww, that’s so sweet!_

You smile and go back downstairs, finally leaving the lab through the other exit. Right as you walk through the doors and back onto the hot ground, the new phone dings. You check the notification.

_Alphys updated status:_

_just realised i didn’t watch undyne fight the human_  

It has a weird, typed-out emoji after it.

Yoy take a few more steps before you get another notification from the social network.

_Alphys updated status:_

_well i know she’s unbeatable i’ll ask her abt it later_

Another typed-out emoji. You’re guessing that she’ll put one after every update.

Few more steps after taking a left, you check the phone again.

_Alphys updated status:_

_for now i gotta call up the human and guide her_

You put the phone away, walking up to a moving pathway, like the ones that are seen in airports. You stand on the fast-moving machine, having to be careful at the end so that you don’t fall. It had only been a minute before you got another notification.

_Alphys updated status:_

_gonna call her in a minute!!!_

You put the phone away, having to walk onto another moving walkway, this one with more turns. Then you make it to an even hotter area, where if you stop moving, your shoes will start to burn. 

It’s really annoying.

You walk through the area, getting even more notifications from Alphys about her calling you. She eventually calls you when you make your way to the first puzzle/trap. 

Well, she did call you once before, but right when you answer, she immediately hung up. You feel bad for her. You have anxiety, too, social anxiety, but hers is ten times as worse then yours.

Okay, so, the puzzle/trap has orange and blue lasers. You walk up to the first laser, an orange one, cautiously. The phone rings and you take it out of your pocket, answering it.

“Hello?”

“Uhh! H-hi, so, the blue lasers... Uh! I mean Alphys here! Hi!” You had already known that, since she made a contact for herself. 

“Hey, Alphys. Thanks for calling me!” You want her to know that you appreciate her overcoming her anxiety to help you.

“N-no problem!”

You beg to differ.

“So, the blue lasers won’t hurt you if you don’t move! O-orange ones, um... Y-you have to be moving, and they... Um, they won’t, um... move through those ones!” She explains to you. 

“Uhh, bye!” She then says before you can thank her for her explanation. She hangs up, causing you to put the phone back in your pocket. You carefully walk through the lasers, stopping when it was needed. Once you make it to the end, you find a switch on a pipe and press it, turning off those lasers just in case you had to come back this way again. 

You probably won’t, but just in case. 

You solve a few more puzzles, reading Alphys’s updates about helping you and calling you. She calls me a few more times before you make your way to a different platform. No longer is there hot rock to serve as the ground. Beneath your feet is a regular floor, with pastel blue and large light green polka dots. You walk on it for a minute, the area in front of me getting darker and darker until you can see nothing at all, forcing you to stop out of fear of tripping over something and falling. You turn around and see that you are too far in the darkness, for behind you, you can now only see black.

_Oh great._  

You phone begins to ring. You immediately answer it, seeing that it’s Alphys. You hope that she has a solution to what is going on.

“Hello?”

“H-hey! It’s kind of dark in there, isn’t it?”

“Uh, yeah.” Not sure what to say since it’s pretty obvious. 

“Don’t worry! I’ll hack into the light system and brighten it up!” The lights come on.  

_What the...?_

You’re still in Hotland, but around you is now a stage set of a kitchen, with lights and metal bars holding up the fake walls. There’s even a window with a poster of a blue sky full of clouds behind it. You’re standing next to a dark brown countertop, next to a light brown fridge. A few feet in front of you is an island, with cabinets. Ahead of the island is a camera like the one before, being hung by string. It’s pointed a little to your left.

Speaking of things a little to your left, behind the island, as in a little ahead of you, is a hole in the ground where none other than Mettaton himself is rising from a moving platform. As all his body makes its way to the floor, and the hole closes, you notice that Mettaton is wearing a small chef’s hat and holding that microphone again.

You don’t really care about the hat or the microphone, though, because you’re too scared about what Mettaton has planned next.

“Oh no.” Alphys says. You forgot you were holding the phone to your ear. 

_My thoughts exactly._  

“I’ll have to call you back.” You whisper to Alphys, hanging up and putting the phone away. You know can’t stay on the line with her during this. Even if you would love to talk to her for support.

“Ohhhhh yes!!! Welcome, beauties, to the underground’s premiere cooking show: _Cooking With A Killer Robot_!!!” Mettaton announces.

_What a name._

“Pre-heat your ovens, because we’ve got a very special recipe for you today! We’re going to be making a cake!” 

_Oh, okay, that doesn’t sound too bad._  

“My lovely assistant here will gather all the ingredients. Everyone give her a big hand!” More of that rainbow confetti falls on you as Mettaton claps. You can also hear the sound of an audience clapping, which you guess is an audio track. 

_I love confetti and all, but I’m sure that it’s stuck in my hair now that I think about it!_

You wipe off the top of your head as Mettaton continues. 

“We’ll need sugar, milk, and eggs! Go for it, sweetheart!”

Everything’s okay so far, but that only makes you think that what’s up ahead is very bad.

You smile sheepishly and turn around towards the counter, where all of the ingredients Mettaton just listed are. Calming music plays in the background as you grab the milk in your right hand, balance the small bag of sugar on your right forearm, and hold the carton of eggs in your left hand. You hold the bag of sugar against your body as you walk up to the island, next to Mettaton.

You keep a safe distance between the two of you.

“Great job! Just put them in the middle of the counter!” You set all the stuff down on the island (or counter, you guess). 

“Perfect! Great job, beautiful!” Though this is making you uncomfortable, you really appreciate all of Mettaton’s complement.

Even if he doesn’t mean them.

“We’ve got all the ingredients we need to bake the cake!”

_Actually, we need much more than this, like flour, any flavouring, like vanilla, fruit, cocoa, stuff like that._

Sorry, it just bothers you that he thinks this is all you need for the cake.

“Milk, sugar, eggs... oh my! Wait a magnificent moment! How could I forget?!”

_Thank you, maybe we will actually make a cake._

“We’re missing the most important ingredient!!” All of his tiles switch from yellow to red as he puts down the mic and opens one of the cabinets, pulling out a fucking chainsaw. The music stops.

“A human soul!!!” He turns it on, the loud whirring almost deafening. Your eyes widen, and you immediately step back, grabbing onto the counter before almost falling by accident. Mettaton slowly moves towards you, his tiles flashing from red to yellow.

“Wait!” You gasp out. Suddenly, a phone on top of the island begins to ring. Mettaton stops, turning off the chainsaw and answering the phone, putting it on speaker and leaving it on the counter. His tiles stop flashing, remaining red.

“Hello? I’m kind of in the middle of something here.” Mettaton says, irritated at being interrupted.

“W-wait a second!!”

_Alphys! Thank God!_

“Couldn’t you make a... Couldn’t you use a... couldn’t you make a substitution in the recipe?!”

_Uh, will that fucking help me??_  

“... a substitution?? You mean use a different, non-human ingredient? Why?” Mettaton specifies.

“Uhh, what if someone’s... vegan?” Really sounds like Alphys is just pulling these excuses out of thin air. 

“... vegan.” Mettaton repeats.

“Uh, well, I mean-“ 

“That’s a brilliant idea, Alphys!!” Mettaton cuts her off, dropping the chainsaw to the ground and picking the microphone back up. The music continues as Mettaton hangs up the phone and begins to talk again.

“Actually, I happen to have an option right here: MTT-brand always-convenient human-soul-flavour-substitute!!! A can of which... is just over on the counter!!” Mettaton points to his left. You look over at a small can that is on a very far away, small counter (or island). It’s on a piece of the floor that is only two or three feet away from the hot, rocky ground.

“Well, darling?” You look back at Mettaton. 

“Why don’t you go get it?”

_Oh god, sure._

You nod, still freaked out about him almost killing you. You walk past him and over to the counter. You’re only a foot away from the counter when it suddenly sinks a little bit, shaking.

_What???_

Unexpectedly, the counter shoots up, layers of the wooden part of the counter piling it the can upwards. 

_WHAT._

You take a step backwards, genuinely confused as you watch the counter go up higher and higher.

“By the way, our show runs on a strict schedule!” You turn around towards Mettaton, who has moved to almost right next to you.

“If you can’t get the can in the next one minute, we’ll just have to go back to the original plan!!!”

_Fuck._

“So, better start climbing, beautiful!” The leg with the wheel goes back inside of him again, the jet-thing coming back out. He flies perfectly upwards. 

_What the hell is going on?!_  

The phone begins to ring. You take it out and answer it. You don’t even get to say “Hello?”, because Alphys begins talking right away.

“Oh no!!! There’s not enough time to climb up!!” There’s also no way to climb. The wooden exterior of the counter is perfectly smooth. There’s nothing for you to grab on to. 

“F-f-fourtanetly, I might have a plan! When I was upgrading your phone, I added a few features. You see that small button that says: _Jetpack_?” You turn over the phone and, indeed, right next to the microphone is a small button with the word “Jetpack” right under it in small letters.

“Yeah.” You answer her.

“Watch this!” You press the button, thinking that’s what she means by “Watch this!” One of the jet-things come out of the bottom of the phone, a real small one. The phone slowly lifts up and somehow becomes two phones that are intertwined. It flies behind you and latches on to your backpack.

_Seriously, what the fuck is going on?!_

“There! You should have just enough fuel to reach the top!” Alphys says from the phone, now jetpack, with two small controlled fires under them that are somehow not burning your backpack.

“Now, get up there!” As if on cue, the flames become stronger, and you lift off of the ground, flying quickly to towards the top of the counter.

_Woah._

You’ve never been in an airplane before, but you’re sure that it will never be able to compare to the feeling of actually flying through the air. Your adrenaline keeps you from worrying about falling to the ground.

_Oh no._

Mettaton flies above you, also, beginning to throw stuff at you! And when you say stuff, you mean the ingredients! You don’t know where he’s getting them from, but he starts to pour milk above you, throw eggs at you, and wildly flail the bag of sugar.

_What the FUCK!_

You swerve, dodging the food items for a whole minute, barely able to make it to the top. Once you do, the jetpack’s flames decrease, allowing you to just float. Mettaton does the same, floating above you and a little to your right.

“My my. It seems you’ve bested me.” His voice sounds... mocking? Almost like poor acting.

“But only because you had the help of the brilliant Dr. Alphys! Oh, I loathe to think of what would have happened to you without her!!! Well, toodles!” He flies away, but immediately comes back to say one last thing. 

“Oh yes! About the substitution!” He remembers.

“Haven’t you ever seen a cooking show before? I already baked the cake ahead of time!!! So forget it!!!” And with that, he flies away.

_What was the point of all this, then?!_

You slowly float back down to the ground, realising that the music has stopped.

“Wow...”

_Oh yeah, I forgot that Alphys was on the phone._

Speaking of which, the phone releases your backpack, flying back in front of you and going back to being a phone. It falls into your hands. You catch it and put it up to your ear.

“We... we did it!! We... we really did it!!!” She sounds impressed. And really surprised.

“Great job out there, team!” 

“Thanks, Alphys! You, too!” 

“W-well, uh, anyway, let’s keep heading forward.” She hangs up. You sigh and put the phone back in your pocket.

_I don’t know what the fuck just happened_.

As confused as ever, you walk away from the stage set and back onto the rocky ground. To your left and very far away, you see a building. It’s made out of metal, and has many pipes. It looks very complex and ominous. The phone rings, and you take it out and answer it.

“Hello?”

“S-see that building in the distance?” Alphys asks you.

“Yeah.” You stare at it.

“That’s the Core. The source of all power for the underground. It converts geothermal energy into magical electricity, by...” She stops talking.

_By what?_

“Uhh, anyway, that’s where we’re going to go.”

_Aww, I wanted to hear more about the Core. It sounds really cool!!_

“In the Core is an elevator directly to Asgore’s castle. And from there, you can go home.”

_Home. What home._

You almost scoff at the idea.

“Hey, Alphys, I, uh, have to be somewhere, for, like, an hour or less. Do you mind if I go?” You ask her before she probably hangs up. You had looked at the clock on the phone before you answered and the time matches up to what time you thought it was: 6:14 p.m. It’s now time for you to meet up with Papyrus and go to Undyne’s house.

_Oh god._

“O-oh, that’s fine! No r-rush!” She then hangs up the phone before you can thank her. You put the phone back in your pocket. Up ahead is an elevator, one that leads up to the one next to the lab. You go in it and travel to the lab. The guards have left, allowing you to freely walk out of the elevator. You go over to the person in the boat that you saw before. This area is more like Waterfall, and the person in the boat is wearing a black cloak, covering their face and body.

“Tra la la. I am the riverman. Or am I the riverwoman...?”

_Uhhhhh._

“It doesn’t really matter. I love to ride in my boat. Would you care to join me?” 

“Yes, thank you.” You step onto the boat. 

“Where will we go to today?”

“Waterfall, please.” You don’t exactly know where Undyne’s house is, Papyrus never told you. But, when you had visited Napstablook’s house, there was one to the left that seems like it would be Undyne’s.

“Then we’re off.” Somehow, the boat begins to go. The trip is comfortably silent. After only a minute, they drop you off at Waterfall.

“Thank you!” You say before stepping off. You recognise the area immediately, and make your way to the house next to Napstablook’s. It’s purple, and looks like a fish. Seriously. It has scales, two fins, a long... gill-mane-thingy, and it’s door is painted too look like sharp teeth. It has two windows that look like angry eyes. Also, there is a training dummy that looks like it has been used a lot.

This is definitely Undyne’s house.

You walk up to it, seeing Papyrus standing right in front of the door and holding something in his hand. 

You can’t help but wonder how long he’s been standing there.

“OH HO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES!” You smile at him.

“ARE YOU READY TO HANG OUT WITH UNDYNE?”

_No_.

“I HAVE A PLAN TO MAKE YOU TWO GREAT FRIENDS!” You don’t think it’ll work, sadly.

“Yes, I’m ready.” You lie.

“OKAY! STAND BEHIND ME!” You stand behind him as he turns around and knocks on the door.

“PSST. MAKE SURE TO GIVE HER THIS!” He hands you what he’s holding. It’s a bone with a red ribbon around it. 

“SHE LOVES THESE!” He says right before Undyne opens the door. It actually opens like a set of teeth, one part going up and the other going down.

It’s really cool.

She’s not wearing her armour anymore. She has on a black tank top, blue jeans, and black boots, kind of like your. She’s smiling, but that’s only cause she hasn’t seen you yet since Papyrus is so much taller than you.

“Hi, Papyrus! Ready for your extra-private, one-on-one training?” 

_What? That’s what he told her they were doing?_

“YOU BET I AM! AND I’VE BROUGHT A FRIEND!” Papyrus steps out of the way to reveal you.

“Hi, I don’t think we’ve...” She stops, noticing who you are. What you are. Her smile becomes strained, and in her eye you see hatred. She looks at Papyrus, who remains silent, then back at you.

“Why don’t. You two. Come in?” She practically says through gritted teeth. Papyrus goes first, and after standing nervously for a second, you follow him, knowing only one thing about this situation.

 

 

_I’m not ready for this._  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the thirteenth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time is All by THEY. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, I’ve been having such a fun time writing these last ones! Talk to you soon, byeeeee!!!


	14. If You Don’t Mind, I’d Like To Have A Bud Like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanging out with Undyne is fun... and scary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, what’s this?! Another update?!?! Hello!! I have another update for this week, somehow! This chapter is a little bit shorter than most of my chapters, but that’s just because I wanted this part by itself. I was focused on writing this yesterday, so I was actually able to finish it today! I hope you enjoy it, talk to you soon!!!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

“HERE, UNDYNE! MY FRIEND BROUGHT A GIFT FOR YOU. ON HER OWN!” Papyrus says after the door closes behind you. You immediately hand her the bone with an orange bow on it.

“Uhhh... thanks.” She takes it. 

“I’ll, uh, put it with the others.” She goes over to a drawer next to her stove and opens it, revealing many other bones with bows on them. They are all the same as the one you just gave her, which she puts in the drawer, closing it.

“So, are we ready to start?” She walks back right in front of you, seemingly a little bit more okay with you than she was before. 

“WHOOPSY DOOPSY! I JUST REMEMBERED! I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!! YOU TWO HAVE FUN!!!” And with that, he fucking jumps out the window to his left. Shards of glass scatter around the wall. You stand motionless, staring at the now broken window.

_What the fuck, Papyrus?!_

Undyne also stands silently, looking at the ground. 

“So why are _you_ here?” You look at Undyne, recognising her harsh tone.

“To rub your victory in my face? To humiliate even further? Is that it?!”

“No! No, of course not!” You immediately answer. 

“Then why _are_ you here?” Then, she gasps. 

“Wait, I get it.”

_Get what?_

“You think I’m gonna be friends with you, huh? Right???”

“W-well, I-I mean-“

“Really? How delightful!! I accept!” She mocks while smiling, cutting off your stammering.

“Lets all frolic in the fields of friendship!”

“...NOT!” She goes back to glaring at you, grimacing. You cross your arms, staring at the ground. You don’t want to look at her. You’re scared you’ll start crying or something.

“Why would I ever be friends with you?! If you weren’t my houseguest, I’d beat you up right now! You’re the enemy of everyone’s hopes and dreams! I will never be your friend. Now get out of my house!”

_Well. That settles it._

You take your hair out of the hair tie and sigh.

“I’m sorry to have bothered you.” You quietly say whilst looking at the black hair tie in your hand. You’re about to turn around and leave when Papyrus comes back to the window. 

“DANG! WHAT A SHAME...” You look up at him, putting the hair tie around your wrist. 

“I THOUGHT UNDYNE COULD BE FRIENDS WITH YOU. BUT I GUESS... I OVERESTIMATED HER. SHE’S JUST NOT UP TO THE CHALLENGE.”

“Challenge!? What!?” Undyne yells as Papyrus leaves again. 

“Papyrus! Wait a second...!” She sighs, seeing that he’s gone.

“Darnit!” She turns back towards you.

“He thinks I can’t be friends with _you_!?” She laughs, a look of determination in her eye.

“What a joke! I could make friends with a wimpy loser like you any day! I’ll show him!”

_Oh my gosh, Papyrus is so smart!_

“Listen up, human. We’re not just going to be friends! We’re going to be besties! I’ll make you like me so much, you won’t be able to think of anyone else!!! Fuhuhuhu, it’s the perfect revenge!! Why don’t you have a seat?” She asks the last part kindly, smiling at you. An actual smile. Not a fake one like before. You smile a little bit back and sit down at the wooden table. 

Oh, yeah, need to describe her house before you continue. So, her house... it’s very mismatched, to say the least. The floor is light yellow and blue tiles, and the wall is also a light blue, with a pattern of pink fish silhouettes. There are two dark purple floor mats on the ground: One next to the broken window and one under the table. There is a classical piano on the left side of the room and a freaking sword just laying on the ground on the right side of the room. In the very front of the room is a refrigerator, countertops, a stove/oven, and a door to what you assume is her room. Above the countertops are hanging baskets of fruits and vegetables, and also hanging pots, along with a kettle.

It’s quite small, but also kinda comfortable. You like it.

As you sit down, you notice a white fish doily on the table. It’s very quaint.

“Comfortable? I’ll get you something to drink.” Undyne says, going over to the fridge.

“Thanks.” You tell her sincerely. You really are thankful for her being so nice to you right now. She grabs some stuff out of the fridge, setting it all down on the counter.

“All set! What would you like?” You look at the options that she has picked out for you. The only thing you’d really like is the tea, which, for right now, is in tea boxes of different colours. The yellow one sounds interesting: _Golden Flower Tea_.

“Um, th-the tea, the one in the yellow box.” You murmur nervously.

“Coming right up!” She takes the silver kettle off its hook on the ceiling and fills it with water, putting it on the stove.

“It’ll take a moment for the water to boil.” She turns on the stove, then placing one hand down on the counter and leaning against it. The two of you fall silent.

_Oh god, maybe I should say something._  

“I like your piano!” You blurt out. 

“Uh, I-I mean, um, yeah. Your piano is nice.” You try to make the compliment sound better.

“Thanks.” She replies. 

“You know, I’ve always been interested in playing the piano. I’m into it, music and such. I’ve only played a little bit, though.” You admit whilst blushing. You’ve never told anyone that. You’ve never actually had anyone to tell, and plus, music is such a personal part of you. 

To be honest, you love to sing. Of course, it’s hard to do that when you don’t talk, so you haven’t sung in a long, long time. But, when you were younger, you fell in love with it. You’re not sure if you’d do it now. Probably when you’re alone, but your anxiety... just thinking about trying to sing in front of a couple of people makes you want to throw up. 

Anyhoo.

“Y-You’re probably really good at it.” You tell her. She laughs.

“Well, I barely get any time to practice. But when I do, yeah, I’d consider myself pretty good.” The kettle begins to whistle. She turns towards it. 

“Okay, all done!” She grabs a clean, blue mug out of the sink and brings it over to the kettle, filling it with the hot water. She then gets a teabag out of the yellow box and puts it in the cup. She brings it to the table and sets it down in front of you.

“Here we are.” She goes to the other side of the table and sits down, leaving all the drinks on the counter.

“Careful, it’s hot.” The steam hits your face, causing you to already know that. You look at the tea, waiting patiently for it to cool down. 

“It’s not that hot!! Just drink it already!” She yells.

“O-oh, okay.” You hesitantly grab on to the handle of the mug and take a sip. 

_Fucking hell!_

The tea burns, hurting your tongue and throat. You refuse to allow yourself to spit it out. Other than that, the tea is actually pretty good. Very floral and refreshing.

“It’s pretty good, right?” You nod yes. 

“Nothing but the best for my absolutely precious friend!” Okay, she’s kinda pushing it a bit, but her saying that does make you smile wider. After a beat of neither of you saying anything, she begins to talk again. 

“Hey, you know... it’s kind of strange you chose _that_ tea. Golden flower tea... that’s Asgore’s favorite kind.”

_Not sure how I feel about that._  

“Actually, now that I think about it, you kind of remind me of him.”

_Also not sure about how I feel about that._  

“You’re both total weenies!!!”

“...sort of.” She quietly says. You wonder what she means by that. You continue to drink more of the tea.

“Y’know, I was a pretty hotheaded kid. Once, to prove I was the strongest, I tried to fight Asgore.”

_Woah_.

“Emphasis on tried! I couldn’t land a single blow on him! And worse, the whole time, he refused to fight back! I was so humiliated...” She closes her eye, sighing.  

_So does this mean that Asgore_ doesn’t _want to fight me?_

“Afterwards, he apologised and said something goofy: ‘Excuse me, do you want to know how to beat me?’ I said yes, and from then on, he trained me. One day, during practise, I finally knocked him down. I felt... bad. But he was beaming! I had never seen someone more proud to get their butt kicked!”

_Oh._

“Anyway, long story short, he kept training me and now I’m the head of the Royal Guard! So I’m the one who gets to train dorks to fight!” She pauses.

“...like, uh, Papyrus. But, um, to be honest... I don’t know if... I can ever let Papyrus into the Royal Guard.” 

_Damn._

“Don’t tell him I said that! He’s just... well... I mean, it’s not that he’s weak. He’s actually pretty freaking tough! It’s just that... he’s... he’s too innocent and nice!!!”

_Yeah... it’s true._

“I mean, look, he was supposed to capture you and he ended up being friends with you instead! I could _never_ send him into battle! He’d get ripped into little smiling shreds. That’s part of why I started teaching him how to cook, you know? So, um, maybe he can do something else with his life.” She stops talking.

_Oh my gosh. She just opened up to me. Does this mean that she might actually be starting to like me?_  

“Oh, sorry, I was talking for so long. You’re out of tea, aren’t you?” She asks you before you can say anything about how nice it is of her to be doing that for Papyrus. You look down at your cup and see that it is, in fact, empty. It was really good, and you were drinking it the whole time she was talking. You nod your head.

“I’ll get you some more.” She stands up.

“Thanks.” She’s walking over to the counter, about to get the kettle, but stops halfway.

“Wait a second. Papyrus... his cooking lesson... HE WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW!!!” She screams loudly.

_What?! So, it’s not a training session as in fighting, it’s a training session as in cooking._

“And if _he’s_ not here to have it, _YOU’LL_ HAVE TO HAVE IT FOR HIM!”

_What._

She turns around and pushes everything off the counter. The other drinks fall to the ground, breaking open, and the tea boxes hit the ground with a thud, thankfully remaining closed. She turns back towards you.

“That’s right!!! _Nothing_ has brought Papyrus and I closer than cooking! Which means that if I give you his lesson, WE’LL BECOME CLOSER THAN YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE!!!”

You’re excited and scared at the same time.

“Fuhuhu!!! Afraid?! We’re gonna be best friends!!!” All you can think about is how you haven’t had an actual best friend in such a long time. She runs over to you and grabs your hand, yanking you up out of your seat and over to the counter. 

“Let’s start with the sauce!!” She stomps fiercely with her left foot, forcing two tomatoes, a banana, and a carrot to fall from the hanging baskets and onto the counter.

_Now I see why Papyrus was adding banana to the spaghetti. Then again, I don’t remember him adding in any carrots._

“Envision these vegetables as your greatest enemy! Now!! Punch them to dust with your fists!!” Not wanting to disappoint her, but also not wanting to get food on you, you punch the food. Strong enough so that they move a bit, but soft enough so that you don’t smash them.

“YEAH! YEAH!! Our hearts are uniting against these healthy ingredients! NOW IT’S MY TURN! NGAHHH!” She punches each item with brute force, smashing them all. Juice splatters onto the wall and all over the counter.

“Uhh, we’ll just scrape this into a bowl later.” She says regretfully whilst smiling. You smile back at her. 

“But for NOW!” She stomps in the same manner again, a pot falling from the ceiling and onto the stove, along with a box of angel hair noodles that you didn’t notice was in one of the baskets with the fruit. We walk over to the front of the stove.

“... we add the noodles! Homemade noodles are the best! BUT I JUST BUY STORE-BRAND! THEY’RE THE CHEAPEST!!! NGAHHHHHH!!” She yells.

“Uhh, just put them in the pot.” You open up the box of noodles, and fiercely pour the noodles into the pot, practically throwing them. The hard strips of wheat and gluten clang loudly against the empty bottom of the pot. You do, however, throw the box on the counter when you’re done.

“YEAH!!! I’M INTO IT!!! Alright! Now it’s time to stir the pasta! As a general rule of thumb, the more you stir, THE BETTER IT IS! Ready?” She hands you a wooden spoon from a drawer. You take it with your right hand. 

“Let’s do it!” In the midst of all this... passion and excitement for cooking, Undyne didn’t add any water to the pot, and you’re too scared to tell her that she forgot, so you begin to stir the pot with the dry noodles. It’s kinda difficult, but you stir as fast and hard as you can, trying not to break them. 

“Stir harder!” You do.

“HARDER!!” You do. 

“HARDER!!!!” You don’t know how much faster you can go!

“Ugh, let me do it!” You stop and are about to give her the spoon, when she creates a spear above the pot, pointing it right at it, and begins to beat the crap out of the pot. The spear repeatedly hits the pot, slightly damaging it. Once she’s done and makes the spear go away, she laughs.

“That’s the stuff! Alright, now for the final step: TURN UP THE HEAT! Let the stovetop symbolise your passion! Let your hopes and dreams turn into burning fire! READY? Don’t hold anything back!!!” You’re not sure how you’ll powerfully turn up the heat, so you just set the spoon down on the counter, reach around the pot and over to the dial, hurriedly turning it in a clockwise motion.

“Hotter!” The noodles begin to burn, but you listen to Undyne, turning the dial faster. 

“HOTTER, DARNIT!!” The pot starts to melt. You turn the dial even faster. 

“HOTTER!!!!!!” The pot is engulfed in flames. You turn the dial as fast as you possibly can.

“Wait, that’s too-“ An explosion cuts her off. You close your eyes and raise your arms up, protecting your face. After a second, you put them down. 

_Oh no._

There are small fires all over the house now. One next to the piano, one next to the food, one next to the sink, and two next to the table.  

“Ah.” You look at Undyne, who is somehow still smiling.

“Man, no wonder Papyrus sucks at cooking.” She stops talking and looks at the pot, which is now black and halfway melted.

“So, what’s next? Scrapbooking? Friendship bracelets?” You look at her sadly. You don’t like this anymore. You were only trying to be friends with her, and now you’re fucking burning her house down. You don’t deserve to be her friend. She stops smiling. 

“Oh, who am I kidding? I really screwed this up, didn’t I?”

_What?_

“I can’t force you to like me, human. Some people just don’t get along with each other. I understand if you feel that way about me.”

_What??? You were trying to make me like you?! I was trying to make you like me!!!_

“And if we can’t be friends, that’s okay. Because if we’re not friends...” 

“IT MEANS I CAN DESTROY YOU WITHOUT REGRET!” Your soul appears, and Undyne creates a spear, holding it with both hands.

“I’ve been defeated... my house is in shambles... I even failed to befriend you. That’s it! I don’t care if you’re my guest anymore. One final rematch! All out on both sides!!! IT’S THE ONLY WAY I CAN REGAIN MY LOST PRIDE!!! NOW COME ON! HIT ME WITH ALL YOU’VE GOT!!! NGAHHHH!!!” She going to let you attack first, it seems. You’re not sure what to do. You don’t want to actually hit her, but you don’t see any way out of this!

_Oh wait! Maybe I_ can _hit her! I’ll just pretend!!_

You decide to go with my plan, seeing that you don’t know what else to do. You take a deep breath and pretend to swing at Undyne with all your might. You hit her scales softly, tapping her in the arm.

“What.” She says. You bring your arm back down to your side.

“That’s the best you can manage?” You nod.

“Even attacking at full force, you just can’t muster any intent to hurt me, huh?” You nod again.

“Heh, you know what?” She drops the spear and it goes away before hitting the ground.

“I don’t actually want to hurt you either.” 

_Oh my gosh, really?!_

“At first, I hated you stupid saccharine schtick, but... the way you hit me right now, it... reminded me of someone I used to train with. Now I know you aren’t just some wimpy loser.” She gives you a toothy smile.

“You’re a wimpy loser with a big heart!”

_I’ll take it!_

“Just like him... listen, human. It seems that you and Asgore are fated to fight. But knowing him, he probably doesn’t want to. Talk to him. I’m sure you can persuade him to let you go home.” 

Whenever people say that to you, that thing about home, you feel a pang of sadness.

“Eventually, some mean human will fall down here, and I’ll take _their_ soul instead. That makes sense, right?” She laughs. You nod, smiling. 

“Oh, and if you do hurt Asgore, I’ll take the human souls, cross the barrier, and beat the hell out of you!”

_Jesus_.

“That’s what friends are for, right?” She laughs once more. You nod again, this time slower.

“Now let’s get the hell out of this flaming house!” She goes to the door, and you follow her out of the house. You both stand a reasonable distance away from the entry. Flames pour out of the eye-shaped windows. 

_Fire is pouring out of it. In fact, there is fire pouring out of every single window in front of you._

You close your eyes, covering your face with your hands.

_No! Stop thinking about it!_

“Well, that was fun, huh?” You put your hands down and look at Undyne, who has distracted you from your horrible memories. 

“We’ll have to hang out again another time...! But, uh, somewhere else, I guess.” She looks at her house. 

“Undyne, I’m so sorry.” She looks at you, a little surprised, but continues to smile. 

“Eh, don’t sweat it. In the meantime, I guess I’ll go hang out with Papyrus. So, if you need me, drop by Snowdin, ok?!” You nod.

“OH! And if you ever need help, just give Papyrus a ring, ok? Since we’re in the same spot, I’ll be able to talk, too!” 

“So, um, d-does this mean that we’re okay?” You ask her.  

“No. This means that we’re besties!” She smiles confidently. You laugh and smile, too. 

“Well, see ya later, punk!!” Then she runs off to Snowdin. You cross your arms, still smiling.

 

_Oh my god, I’m friends with Undyne!_

_Yes!!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the fourteenth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time is Bud Like You by AJR. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I’ll talk to you soon, byeee!!
> 
> P.S. I can’t believe that I have 200 hits. Thank you for your continuous support, I appreciate each and every one of you!!


	15. I Just Wanna Know If You’re Lying Or Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’ve been on TV a lot lately. Too bad you’re not having a good time when you’re on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo!! Here’s another early update for you guys!! I only have a couple more days left and then I’m done with my second year of college! I seriously can’t believe it, along with how far I’ve come with writing this. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I’ll talk to you soon!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_Alphys posted a picture:_

_dinner with the girlfriend ;)_

It includes a picture of a cat girl figurine next to a bowl of instant noodles.

You smile at Alphys’ quirkiness as you walk on the steaming ground in Hotland. You immediately get another notification and look at it.

_CoolSkeleton95 posted a picture:_

_ARE WE POSTING HOT “PICS???” HERE IS ME AND MY COOL FRIEND_  

It includes a picture of Papyrus flexing in front of a mirror. He’s wearing sunglasses. Giant muscular biceps are pasted onto his arms. The biceps are also wearing sunglasses. 

_Alphys updated status:_

_LOL, CoolSkeleton95... that’s a joke, right?_

_CoolSkeleton95 updated status:_

_THE ONLY JOKE HERE IS HOW STRONG MY MUSCLES ARE._  

You laugh aloud at that. It’s SO relatable (when talking about your muscles, and your life). A minute ago, Papyrus had sent you a friend request, which is why you’re now seeing his status updates and stuff.

It’s pretty interesting.

So, you’re back in Hotland. After making friends with Undyne, you went to the Inn in Snowdin, fell asleep, woke up and talked with Papyrus and Undyne for a while, came back to Hotland, talked to Sans at one of his sentry stations, completed some puzzles thanks to Alphys’s help, and now you’re here.

Oh, and you also had that piece of pie that Toriel gave you for breakfast. You actually almost started crying just because you still feel so bad about leaving her.

And you really miss her. Even if you did only know her for one day.

Well, all you can do is hope that you can see her again before...

Never mind. 

By the way, since Alphys had made your profile on Undernet, she also created your username, which she simply put as _Molly_. You’re thankful that she didn’t put anything like _MollyTheHuman_. You get another notification on the phone. 

_NASTABLOOK22 has sent you a friend request. Accept the request?_

_Hell yes!_

You click yes, but it seems to have already rejected itself.

_What??_  

You send a friend request to Napstablook, wanting him to see that you do want to be friends with him. Thankfully, after a minute, he accepts it. You smile again and put your phone back in your pocket. You’re happy that Alphys signed me up for Undernet. 

It’s a good distraction.

You’re walking past an out-of-place safe when you get another notification, this one from Alphys.

_Alphys updated status:_

_OMG? ppl think Mew Mew 2 is better than Mew Mew 1? LOLLLLL that’s a joke right..._

You recognise what she’s talking about. It’s some anime that she really, really loves. In fact, that cat-girl figurine that was in the picture from earlier is Mew Mew, the main character of the anime _Mew Mew Kissy Cutie_. You take a few more steps before getting another notification. 

_Alphys updated status:_

_omg... DON’T THEY GET IT RUINS Mew Mew’s ENTIRE CHARACTER ARC_

You immediately get a second notification from Alphys. 

_Alphys updated status:_

_My Mew Mew 2 Review: Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 Is Neither Kissy Nor Cutie. It’s Trash. 0 Stars._

You laugh again. Her bluntness is hilarious to you. After that, you solve a few more puzzles and encounter the two Royal Guards once again, having to fight them (they ended up confessing their love for each other and going on a date, ending the fight). Then, the same thing that happened before when you were on that cooking show with Mettaton occurred again, where it gets all dark. You stop walking when your phone rings. 

“Hello?” You answer it. 

“Okay, I’m back!” Alphys says. Oh, yeah, she had kinda taken a break from talking to you, so you had been forced to solve the puzzles on your own. It wasn’t really that hard, though.

“A-another dark room, huh?”

“Yeah.” You sigh.

“Don’t worry! M-my hacking skills have got things covered!” The lights come on, and you right away notice a camera that’s hung by strings being pointed right at you.

_Oh no..._

“Are you serious?” Alphys says exasperatedly. 

“Ohhhhhh yesss!!!” Mettaton’s voice echoes throughout the area, but you don’t see him. 

“Good evening, beauties and gentlebeauties! This is Mettaton, reporting live from _MTT News_! An interesting situation has arisen in Eastern Hotland! Fortunately, our correspondant is out there, reporting live!”

_Let me guess, I’m the correspondant?_

“Brave correspondant! Please find something newsworthy to report! Our ten wonderful viewers are waiting for you!!”

_Oh my gosh, there’s only ten people watching this thing? That... kinda makes me feel bad for Mettaton._

You run a hand through your hair and look around. On the ground surrounding you, there are multiple items. All seemingly boring. There is only one thing that stands out to you.

A dog.

It’s one of the small, white Pomeranians from Snowdin. It’s so freaking cute. You go over to it and crouch down, balancing on the front of your feet so that you don’t have to touch the ground with your knees. You pet the dog and it wags its tail in a happy response.

_Awwwwwww!_

“What a sensational opportunity for a story!” Mettaton interrupts your focus on the cute dog. 

“I can see the headline now: _A Dog Exists Somewhere_. Frankly, I’m blown away. Report this one?”

You stand back up.

“Uhh, yeah, sure.”

“Attention, viewers! Our correspondant has found... a dog!” You hear a chorus of “awws.” 

“That’s right, folks! It’s the feel-good story of the year! Look at its little ears, tiny paws, fluffy tail... wait a second!”

_Oh god, what is it._

“That’s not a tail!”

_What?_

“That’s... a fuse!!!” The end of the dog’s tail sparks, creating a small flame. You take a step back.

_The fuck!?_  

“That’s right... that dog... is a bomb!!! But don’t panic! You haven’t even seen the rest of the room yet!!!” On cue, the other five items either start flashing or are lit. You turn around and see Mettaton, flying above you.

“Oh my! It seems everything in this area is actually a bomb! That present’s a bomb! That basketball’s a bomb!”

_Okay, I get it, everything’s going to blow up._

“Brave correspondant... if you don’t defuse all the bombs...” Mettaton flies over to the other side of the area, above a big bomb that you hadn’t noticed before.

“This big bomb will blow you to smithereens in two minutes! Then you won’t be reporting ‘live’ any longer! How terrible! How disturbing! Our nine viewers are going to love watching this!” Despite your anxiety about getting killed by bombs, you can’t help but take note of the fact that someone has stopped watching this horrible show.

You wish you could just leave, too. 

“Good luck, darling!!” Mettaton says before flying away in, might you add, his red suit with a yellow tie.

_How the hell am I going to defuse seven bombs in two minutes?!_

The phone rings, and you immediately reach for it and answer it. 

“D-don’t worry!” Alphys assures you. 

“I installed a bomb-defusing program on your phone!”

_What can this phone not be used for?!_  

“Use the ‘defuse’ option when the bomb is in the defuse zone! N-now, go get ‘em!” She hangs up the phone.

_Goddamn, I guess I’m going to defuse some bombs!!_  

You go onto the home screen of the phone and find the bomb-defusing app. It tells you to hold it horizontally on your hand, so you do. Your soul appears, along with the black rectangles. Two new things also appear: A green-outline of a rectangle and a timer. Above the green-outline is the word “Defuse” and an arrow below that pointing at the outline. The timer is counting down, starting at 120 seconds. The big rectangle simply reads one thing:

_Defuse the bomb!_

_Thanks, captain obvious!_

The dog quickly moves around, never staying in the defuse zone for a long amount of time. You hold your phone in your left hand and keep your right phone above it, ready to tap on the screen at the exact moment the dog gets into place. You do it quickly, so that you have enough time to defuse the other bombs, but carefully, so that you don’t have to do it over and over again. You fortunately get it on your first try.

_Now to do the other ones!_  

You find the other bombs, doing the same with the dog. Each bomb increases in speed, and even tricking you a couple times. Once yoy finally defuse the last one, you only have a couple of seconds left.

_Jesus, I fucking did it, thank god!!_

You release a breath you didn’t realise you were holding. You then turn off the phone and put it in your pocket. You look back up and see Mettaton fly back, floating above you.

“Well done, darling! You’ve deactivated all the bombs! If you didn’t deactivate them, the big bomb would have exploded in two minutes. Now it won’t explode in two minutes!”

_Wait, fuck, is he about to say what I think he’s about to say??_

“Instead, it’ll explode in two seconds! Goodbye, darling!” His panels flash from red to yellow, just like before.

_Goddamit, fuck, no no no no!_

You gasp and turn towards the big bomb, oh, and did it happen to be mentioned that you are right next to it?

Yeah, the last bomb you defused was right next to the big bomb. 

_Fuck my life._

You raise your arms and put them against the sides of your head, waiting to hear the loud explosion.

... 

... 

Nothing happens. 

You slowly put your arms down, staring at the bomb.

“Ah.” Mettaton is the first to speak. You turn back towards him, scared and confused.

“It seems the bomb isn’t going off.” His panels have stopped flashing, going back to yellow.

The phone starts to ring. 

“Uhhhhh...” You awkwardly reach for the phone and answer it, putting it on speaker and not putting it next to your ear. 

“That’s b-because!!! While you were monologuing... I...!!! I f... fix... um... I ch-change...” Alphys can’t seem to find the right words.

“Oh no. You deactivated the bomb with your hacking skills.” But somehow, Mettaton can.

You have a suspicious feeling about all this.

“Yeah! That’s what I did!” Alphys agrees.

“Curses! It seems I’ve been foiled again! Curse you, human! Curse you, Dr. Alphys, for helping so much! But, I don’t curse my eight wonderful viewers for tuning in!!!”

Another viewer gone, you suppose.

“Until next time, darlings!” Mettaton then flies away, along with the camera. 

“W-wow... w-we really showed him, huh?” You take the phone off the speaker and put it against your ear. 

“Uh-huh...” You say, still kinda freaked out about almost getting blown up. Yoh both don’t say anything for a moment, but Alphys is the first to break the awkward silence.

“H-hey, I know I was kind of weird at first... but I really think I’m getting more... uh, more... m-more confident about guiding you! S-so don’t worry about that b-big, d-dumb robot... I-I’ll protect you from him!!”

“Oh, Alphys, you don’t know how much I appreciate you saying that. Thank you.” You tell her sincerely. 

“Y-you’re welcome! A-and if it really c-came down to it, we could just t-turn...” She stops talking.

“Um, never mind.”

_Wait, what? Was she going to say that we could just turn Mettaton off?_

“Later!” She hangs up. You put the phone in your pocket, thinking about what Alphys could have meant. You’re about to walk away from this area, when you feel someone watching you.

Like, okay, you know that Alphys is always watching you, apparently, but this time, it’s different. Stronger.

You turn around. 

_Oh, fuck no._

About ten feet away from you is the goddamn flower, just looking at you with a smirk on his face.

“Hey!” You yell at him. He sinks back underground as you yell at him to wait. You run over to where he was, but you’re too late. He’s already gone.

“Dammit...” You whisper. You shake your head and turn back around, this time walking away. 

_I wish I could know why the hell he’s watching me!! And what his fucking plan is!_  

You frustratedly sigh, hoping that those answers will soon be brought to life. You decide to leave the topic of Flowey, and focus on what’s in front of you again, in the far distance.

The Core.

Your phone rings, and you answer it.

“Hello?”

“Um... I noticed you’ve been kind of quiet...” Alphys says.

_Aren’t I always quiet??_

“Are you w-worried about meeting Asgore...?”

“Yeah... sort of.”

“W-well, don’t worry, okay? Th-the king is a really nice guy... I’m sure you can talk to him, and... w-with your human soul, you can pass through the barrier!”

You don’t say anything.

“S-so, no worrying, ok? J-just forget about it and smile.” 

_Easier said than done._  

“Oh, and, Alphys, before you hang up, I just wanna say that I’m sorry that I didn’t call you back yesterday. It’s just that I was so tired that I wasn’t thinking straight, and I went to this inn and fell asleep, and that was rude of me, so I’m sorry.” 

“It’s alright! I u-understand!”

“Thanks, Alphys. You’re such a great friend!” 

_Whoops._

_Should I have said that? I don’t want to make it seem like I think she’s my friend if she doesn’t like me. I mean, she probably does like me, since she had signed me up for Undernet, and had said that we are now officially friends. What if she didn’t mean that? What if she just feels bad for me? She probably pities me. Oh my god, I’m so fucking stupid._

“Y-you, too! Um, t-talk to you soon!” She then hangs up the phone. 

_Oh my gosh, she_ does _think of me as her friend! Yay!_

You put the phone back in your pocket with a smile on your face and continue walking. You soon make your way to another elevator. You take it, going up to level three. Once you step out of the elevator, you immediately notice how much cooler it is. The floors are no longer hot rock. Instead, it is just a regular cementitious floor that is a purple/reddish colour.

It’s very pristine.

You walk away from the elevator, and towards what seems to be... a bake sale? A female spider monster stands behind a white and pink-checkered table. She has six arms, two legs, five eyes, and two bows in her short, black hair. Her outfit is a mix of reds and purples. It is like a uniform for a boutique, sort of. It suits her look. 

You go up to the front of the table, greeting the spider lady. On the table is a croissant and one of the spider donuts that you had bought before, which leads you to think that this woman is in charge of the spider bake sale, the one in the Ruins. In fact, you still have that other donut in your backpack.

“Welcome to our parlour, dearie. Interested in some spider pastries? All proceeds go to real spiders. Check out the webs make a purchase.” She sweetly says to you, smiling. You smile back at her and nod, going over to the spider webs that are to the right of the table. Just like before, you read the tiny signs that lay upon the web.

_Buy a Spider Donut for 9999G?_

_Whaaaaat?!_

You only have about 700 Gold, and plus, last time the donuts were only 7 Gold. You had even donated an extra dollar. But almost 10,000 Gold?

Nope, not happening.

You smile nervously and walk away, having to do a few more puzzles that Alphys helps you with.

By the way, when she first called you, she started to tell you how you two should be friends on Undernet so that you could ping her whenever you needed her help. She had completely forgotten you were already friends, which means that she had completely forgotten that you could read all of her updates. Once she realised that, she anxiously told you how she hoped you agreed with her about Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 before hanging up.

You felt kinda bad. You don’t care if she mentions you or not, or if she exploits her likings. Alphys is cool.

You wish she understood that you thought that about her.

As you walk, you notice the floor changing choppily from the purple/reddish colour to black. You then walk through a doorway of a purple wall. In this new section, cobwebs are numerous. They are all over the wall, and even the walkway. In fact, there are some small, purple spiders hanging on the ceiling by thin strings of silk. You move cautiously, making sure not to steps on any of the webs in the ground. As you go past the spiders, they go back up to the ceiling, and a female voice says something.

“Ahuhuhu. Did you hear what they said?”

_What?_  

You continue walking, recognising the voice as the spider monster that you just met.

“They said a human wearing a blue shirt will come through.” 

_Oh, fuck this, I know_ exactly _where this is heading._

“I heard that she hates spiders.”

_What?! I do not!!_

The cobwebs cover the entire path. You have no choice but to step on them. You move much slower than before.

“I heard that she loves to stomp on them.”

_Lies!_

“I heard...” You’re about to take another step, but you can’t move your feet. You look down, and see that they are both trapped in the cobwebs. You try to pull them up, but it’s no use. And if you make a motion that is too sudden, you might fall over, and then your whole body might get stuck.

So, this isn’t good.

“... that she’s awfully stingy with her money.” You look up and see the spider lady, standing on one large cobweb. Four spiders hang down from the ceiling, and two walk up a few feet in front of you and behind you. The baker laughs.

“You think your taste is too refined for our pastries, don’t you, dearie?” You shake your head “no,” but she only laughs again.

“I disagree with that notion. I think your taste... is exactly what this next batch needs!” Your soul appears in front of your chest.

_Ugh, great._

“Don’t look so blue, my dearie.” Your soul is suddenly outlined with a deep purple. You can now move one step to your right and one step to your left, but you somehow cannot move any further than that.

“... I think purple is a better look on you!” She laughs.

_I do not want to fight this lady! How can I..._

_Wait._

_She keeps on saying on how I’m so frugal, so maybe if I show her than doughnut..._

“Wait, wait, uh...” You quickly say, taking off your backpack. You hold it in your left hand as you take out the box that the doughnut is in with your left. You put your backpack back on and take out the doughnut.

“Look!” You say.

“Huh? Where did you get that...? Did you steal it?”

“N-no, I-“

“Oh, my pet.” She interrupts you, talking to a large spider-monster behind her. This one is actually like a spider, walking on eight legs. It’s pink, and kinda looks like a cupcake.

“It’s time to show her what we do with thieves.” Before you can try to convince her that you bought the doughnut, one of the small, purple spiders crawls up to her. It is somehow holding a small piece of paper.

“Huh? A telegram from the spiders in the Ruins? What? They’re saying that they saw you, and... you were really passionate about spiders!”

_I told you!_

“Oh my, this has all been a big misunderstanding.” She says, embarrassed. 

“I thought you were someone that hated spiders. The person who asked for that soul... they must have meant a _different_ human in a blue shirt. Sorry for all the trouble. Ahuhuhu. I’ll make it up to you! You can come back here any time... and, for no charge at all... I’ll wrap you up and let you play with my pet!” She laughs.

_No thanks._

“Just kidding! I’ll spare you now!” Youd soul goes away, and three spiders crawl over to your feet and break the webs that are keeping them trapped.

“Thanks...” You say, relieved to be able to move again. The spider holding the telegram goes away as the female spider monster laughs again. 

“That was fun! See you again, dearie!” You smile nervously and wave goodbye, quickly walking away.

_That was... definitely something._

You begin to eat the doughnut as you walk, realising how hungry you are. Once you finish the delicious baked good, you put the box into your backpack, just in case. You soon walk through a doorway of a purple way again. The ground is now the same purple as the Ruins, and the walls are the same brick wall as the Ruins. On the wall is a poster with Mettaton on it, promoting his latest stage performance. It’s something about two star-crossed lovers, kept apart by the tides of fate.

The poster’s words, not yours.

It has a starting time on the poster. You check the phone, and it looks like it’s almost time for the performance.

_Oh no._  

You apprehensively walk round a corner to the next area. This one is also very different. The ground is a deep purple, and there is a tall structure that is the same colour purple, maybe a bit darker. It’s made out of brick, and has vines growing on it. There is a long staircase to the top of it. Behind you is a wall that has been painted with the same purple, and includes black silhouettes of buildings. On the ceiling is a cutout of a moon and some starts, dangling by strings. The same with a large camera. 

You’re almost certain that this is a stage set. 

“Oh? That human...” You look up to the top of the structure. 

“Could it be...?” Mettaton rounds the corner, wearing a beautiful light blue, sparkling dress. His panels are all red, and his hands are clasped together. 

“... my one true love?”

_Excuse me?!_

Slow music begins to play as Mettaton descends the stairs, daintily walking. He lifts his dress up the tiniest bit as to not trip over it. His panels change to yellow, but once he walks up to you, they go back to red. He clasps his hands again. 

“ _Oh my love_.” Mettaton sings.

_Oh. My. God._  

“ _Please run away. Monster king forbids your stay._ ” He slowly walks around you. “ _Humans must live far apart. Even if it breaks my heart. They’ll put you in the dungeon. It’ll suck, and then you’ll die a lot_.” Cherry blossom leaves rain down from the ceiling, gracefully floating past you and Mettaton.

_What the fuck._

“ _Really sad. You’re gonna die. Cry, cry, cry._ ” Yes, he actually sang “Cry, cry, cry.”

“ _So sad it’s happening_.” He stops singing. 

“So sad. So sad that you are going to the dungeon.” He pulls a remote control with a red button out of a pocket of the dress.

“Well, toodles!” He presses the button, and the ground beneath you opens. You fall, your gasp not allowing you to scream. You hit the hot ground with a loud thud. You landed on your side, so your arm begins to burn. You gasp again and get up, stopping your body from getting burnt seriously. Your arm does hurt, though, from the fall, along with your side. You can tell that your arm will bruise.  

Speaking of which, your knees were bruised from your fall into the mountain, but they’re doing a little bit better.

“Oh no! Whatever shall I do?” You look up at Mettaton, who is flying above you. His flame is a bright pink instead of an orange. The camera lowers itself down to this new area.

“My love has been cast away into the dungeon. A dungeon with a puzzle so dastardly, my paramour will surely perish!” You turn to your right and see a small, conveyor belt acting as a bridge to a puzzle. In fact, it is the same puzzle that Papyrus had gotten Dr. Alphys to make for you, the one that you thought she tampered with.

“O, heavens have mercy! The horrible coloured tile maze! Each coloured tile has its own sadistic function! For example, a green tile sounds a noise, and then you must fight a monster. Red tiles will... actually, wait a second. Didn’t we see this puzzle about a hundred rooms ago?”

_How does he know about that?_

“That’s right. You remember all the rules, don’t you?”

_A little bit, but not really. They’re so complicated!_

“Uh...” 

“Great! Then I won’t waste your time repeating them!!”

_Oh god._

“Oh, and you’d better hurry. Because if you don’t get through in thirty seconds, you’ll be incinerated by these jets of fire!” You turn to your left and see a wall of fire. 

_Holy crap!_

“Ahahahahaha! Ahaha... ha... ha! My poor love! I’m so filled with grief, I can’t stop laughing!”

_Oh, shut up._

“Good luck, darling!” The music starts again, this time much faster. You run onto the conveyor belt as Mettaton sings. You go onto the first tile after only a second and try to make your way through. You don’t remember the rules that much, so you’re not doing very well. The maze is too long, and too complex, that after thirty seconds, you’re only halfway through. The music stops, and the tiles all fade to shades of grey.

“Oooh, I’m so sorry!” Mettaton flies above you. He had kept up with you the whole time.

“Looks like you’re out of time!!!” A fire wall to your left and a fire wall to your right move towards you, only about ten feet away.

“Here come the flames, darling!” The flames move closer to you, now only about four feet away.

“They’re closing in!” Only two feet away. You can sort of feel the heat from them. 

“Getting! Closer! Oh my!” Only a couple inches away. If you move a little bit, you could get burned by them. You put your arms in front of you and take a deep breath, sucking in your stomach as much as you can. You don’t want to accidentally be burned.

_C’mon, Alphys, now would be a good time to intervene!_

“Any minute now!”

...

...

Mettaton awkwardly coughs as nothing is happening. Finally, the phone rings. You cautiously take it out of your pocket and answer it.

“Watch out!! I’ll save you!!”

_Alphys, thank god!_

“I’m hacking into the firewall right now!” The fires disappear. You let out your breath. 

“Oh no!!! How could this happen???” Mettaton asks to no one in particular.

“Foiled again by the brilliant Dr. Alphys!!”

_The things he says, like that, makes this seem kinda... I don’t know..._

_Fake._

“That’s right! Come on, Mettaton, give up already! You’ll never be able to defeat us! Not as long as we work together! Your puzzle’s over... now go home and leave us alone!” Alphys confidently states through the phone. You turned on the speaker option right before she started talking.

“Puzzle? Over? Alphys, darling, what are you talking about...? Did you forget what the green tiles do? They make a sound, then you have a fight a monster.”

_Yeah, I stepped on a bunch of those, but nothing happened._  

“Well, darling... that monster... is me!!!” He floats down and back onto the ground, his jet-thing getting replaced with his one leg with the wheel. He takes off the dress and throws it behind him, where it falls to the lave below. Your soul appears in front of you.

“This is it, darling! Say goodbye!” Before he can do anything, the phone rings. You hadn’t realised that Alphys had hung up.

“Is that your phone? You better answer it!” Mettaton tells you.

_Uh, okay._

It’s still in your hand, so you just swipe the screen and answer Alphys. 

“H-hey!! Th-this seems bad, but don’t worry!! Th-there’s one last thing I installed on your phone...! You see that yellow button?” On the top left side of the phone, there is a small, yellow button. 

“Y-yes.” You answer. 

“Go to this phone’s _Act_ menu and press it!!!” You listen to her. The phone is resonating with Mettaton’s presence.

“This is it, darling! Say goodbye!” Mettaton repeats. Your soul somehow turns upside down, horizontally, and is outlined with a bright yellow. 

“Now press the button again!!!” Once again, you listen to her. Short, yellow beams emerge from your soul and hit Mettaton. You repeatedly hit the button. The beams don’t really seem to be doing anything to Mettaton.

“Oooh! Oooooooooh!!! You’ve defeated me!!! How can this be, you were stronger than I thought, etcetera, bye, whatever.” Mettaton speaks quickly and carelessly. He then walks away. The camera and your soul also go away.

_What just happened?_

“L-looks like you beat him!” Alphys says, still on the phone.

“Y-you really did a great job out there.” 

“All thanks to you!” You compliment her.

“What? Oh no, I mean... you were the one doing everything cool! I just wrote some silly programs for your phone.”

“‘ _Silly programs_ ’? Alphys, they’re not silly, they’re brilliant! Seriously!” After you say that, she thanks you, and you both are quiet. 

“... umm, h-hey, this might sound strange, but...” Alphys starts talking again. 

“... c-can I tell you something?”

“Of course.” You assure her. She sighs before continuing.

“B-before I met you, I d-didn’t really... I didn’t really like myself very much.”

_How relatable._  

“For a long time, I f-felt like a total screw-up. L-like I couldn’t do a-anything w-without... w-without ending up letting everyone down.” 

_Also relatable._

“B-but...! Guiding you has made me feel... a lot better about myself. So... thanks for letting me help you.” 

“Thanks for helping me!” You thank her. She tells you how it’s no big deal. 

“Uhhh, anyway, we’re almost to the Core. It’s just past MTT Resort. Come on! Let’s finish this!” After she says that, she hangs up the phone. You put it in your pocket and begin to walk away.

_I really am thankful about her helping me, but is she only helping me because, well... she’s forcing Mettaton to do all this and she only wants to feel better about herself?_

You sigh.

  

 

_I hope not._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the fifteenth chapter of I’m Drowning! Fifteen, wow, can’t believe it! The song mentioned this time is I Just Wanna Know by NF. Sorry, I know this chapter was a little more boring than usual, but the next ones will be much better, trust me. Thanks again, hope you at least somewhat enjoyed this chapter, and I’ll talk to you all soon, byeee!!!


	16. I Don’t Know Why I Do Things Sometimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s nice to take a break from Mettaton and his antics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof, I’m tired. Apparently, my life is 100% focused on writing. It’s because I barely have anything left for school. The last day is this week, and I can’t wait! Also, it’s been exactly two months and one day since I started writing this! Wow! Thank you all for your support and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

“Hey! It’s you again!” Kendall greets you, smiling as you walk up to him. As usual, he’s standing next to his cart, but he is much more happy than the last time you saw him.

“Haha, yep! How’s it going?” You ask him.

“Well, business is booming here! These two fellas bought _all_ my ice cream!” He glances at the two Royal Guards to his left. In front of you is a long staircase, on one side is Kendall and on the other side are the two guardsmen.

“I’ve actually sold out of everything!!!”

“Oh, that’s too bad. I kinda wanted some Nice Cream.” You sadly say. 

“... sorry. Wait! I’ve still got something for you: A big smile! How about that!” He smiles widely at you. You do the same, telling him that you’ll see him around. You walk over to the Royal Guards.

“Oh, hey.” The one on the left says, the one with the bunny ears.

“Hi.” You say back. 

“We’re, like, taking a rain check on that killing-you thing. Like, don’t tell Undyne about this, ok?” He asks you. You nod, smiling. The other Royal Guard doesn’t say anything, but for some reason, he seems happy. You walk away from them and go up the stairs. You then go through a large hole, into the next section of Hotland. 

At least, you think that you’re still in Hotland.

But, this is no longer like Hotland.

The brick ground is cool and damp. The deep purple of it matches the one on the building in front of me: MTT Resort. In gold, fancy letters is _MTT_ , and two golden drawings of Mettaton himself (along with some wings on him) are on each side of the abbreviation. There are two glass windows, and one glass door, all of them tinted with gold. Above the door (which is under the gold letters and drawings) is an orange and white-checkered awning. Under the two windows are bright green ferns. A small, red carpet leads up to the door.

This building screams _Mettaton_ to you. It’s very... glamorous.

And to the left of the door, in front of one of the ferns, is Sans, with both hands in his pockets and wearing his lazy smile. You’re kinda surprised to see him here. Well, it’s just that it’s sort of random. But, that doesn’t mean that you’re not happy to see a familiar face. You walk up to him.

“hey. i heard you’re going to the core.” He says.

_How did he...?_

You nod, wondering how he could have known that.

“how about grabbing some dinner with me first?” 

“Sure, that sounds good.” 

“great, thanks for treating me.” You smile, rolling your eyes. 

“c’mon, i know a shortcut.” He winks, clueing you in on what he actually means. You nod, and he holds out his hand. You take it without any hesitation this time. You close your eyes before feeling the rush of adrenaline and loss of ground beneath your feet. After only a second, you are standing again. You let go of Sans’ hand and open your eyes. Even though you were ready for it this time, it’s hard to get used to teleportation. 

Oh my god, it’s still so crazy that you think shit like that now.

You run your hand through your hair as you look around at where you are now. It’s a restaurant. In front of you is a lavender table with a single lit candle in the middle of it. The cloth on the table as a design of... wow, you think Mettaton. It has little, light green circles, and beneath those circles, in the same colour, are three dials. 

Yep, definitely Mettaton. 

Across from you, on the other side of the table, is Sans. Around the two of you are four more of the exact same tables, and behind you are four more of the tables. The floor is a purple and light magenta-checkered carpet. The walls are also purple, and there are some plants next to the walls. It’s all fancy and stuff, but it bothers you that, for some reason, there are no chairs, so you and Sans just stand.

_Weird._

“well, here we are.” Sans says. You look at him, smiling. It’s nice to take a small break from Mettaton and his traps and puzzles and stuff. 

“so. your journey’s almost over, huh?”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess it is.” You quietly realise.

_It’s all almost over._

“you must really wanna go home.”

You shrug, not saying anything.

“hey. i know the feeling, buddo.” You raise an eyebrow at him.

_What’s_ that _supposed to mean?_

“though... maybe sometimes it’s better to take what’s given to you. down here you’ve already got food, drinks, friends... is what you have to do really worth it?” He looks away.

_Yes._

“ah, forget it.” He says after a couple of seconds, looking back at you.

“i’m rootin’ for ya, kid.” 

“Thanks.” You place your left hand on the table, leaning against it slightly. You stare at the table, thinking about what Sans just said.

_I do have everything I would ever need down here. Am I sure that I should..._

_No, stop it, I’m doing the right thing. I’m doing the rightest thing I’ve ever done in my life._

_Does that make sense?_

“hey.” Sans breaks the comfortable silence. You look back up at him. 

“let me tell you a story.” 

“Uh, okay.” 

“so i’m a sentry in snowdin forest, right?” You nod. “i sit out there and watch for humans. it’s kind of boring. fortunately, deep in the forest, there’s this _huge_ locked door.” 

_What? What “huge locked door?”_

“and it’s perfect for practicing knock knock jokes on. so one day, i’m knocking ‘em out, like usual. i knock on the door and say, ‘knock knock.’ and suddenly, from the other side, i hear a woman’s voice.” 

_Oh._

Oh. _Oh my god. Is he talking about..._

_Toriel?_

“‘who is there?’ so, naturally, i respond: ‘dishes.’ ‘dishes who?’ ‘dishes a very bad joke.’” You barely laugh, caught up with the fact that he might be talking about Toriel.

“then she just howls with laughter. like it’s the best joke she’s heard in a hundred years. so i keep ‘em coming, and she keeps laughing. she’s the best audience i’ve ever had. then, after a dozen of ‘em, _she_ knocks on the door and says, ‘knock knock!’ i say, ‘who’s there?’ ‘old lady!’ ‘old lady who?’ ‘oh, i did not know you could yodel!’” You laugh the same way you did before. 

“wow. needless to say, this woman was extremely good. we kept telling each other jokes for hours. eventually, i had to leave. papyrus gets kinda cranky without his bedtime story.”

_Aw._

“but she told me to come by again, and so i did. then i did again. and again. it’s a thing now. telling bad jokes through the door. it rules.” He pauses for a moment.

“one day, though, i noticed she wasn’t laughing very much. i asked her what was up. then she told me something strange. ‘if a human ever comes through this door, could you please, please promise something? watch over her, and protect her, will you not?’”

_Yep, oh my god, it was Toriel._

“now, i hate making promises. and this woman, i don’t even know her name. but... someone who sincerely likes bad jokes... has an integrity you can’t say ‘no’ to. that promise i made to her... you know what would’ve happened if she hadn’t said anything?” 

_Uh..._

“... buddy.” He closes his eyes.

“... y o u ‘ d  b e  d e a d  w h e r e  y o u  s t a n d .” He opens his eyes, his eye sockets now hollow, missing the little white dots. It makes them look like empty voids. His voice is even and almost threatening, yet still nonchalant, like the first time he talked to you, which makes you all the more fearful. Your eyes widen as you grab onto the table cloth tightly. 

_Jesus, what the fuck, Sans._

He closes his eyes and opens them again, the two lights in his eyes back.

“hey. lighten up, bucko! i’m just joking with you.” He winks.

“Ha, right, g-good one.” You nervously smile.

“besides, haven’t i done a great job protecting you? i mean, look at yourself. you haven’t died a single time.” He winks. 

_Again, what’s_ that _supposed to mean?_  

Confused and surprised about everything he just told you, you only nod.

“well, that’s all.” He walks away from the table, stopping and turning back towards you.

“take care of yourself, kid. cause someone really cares about you.” He turns back around and walks to the left, towards the wall. He then teleports out of here. It looked as if you blinked and he was just gone.

_Someone really cares about me, huh?_

You close your eyes and sigh, letting go of the table cloth.

_I’m sorry, then._

You open your eyes and walk away, going into what seems like a lobby. The walls are a very light orange, and the floor is a yellow and orange-checkered tile. In the middle of the room is a fountain with a small sculpture of Mettaton on the top. Water is coming out of its mouth, hitting the ground next to the fountain. The red carpet from in front of the door to the MTT Resort continues insider here, past the fountain. There are a few monsters in here, along with some more plants. As you look around, you realise that even though you and Sans were supposed to have been eating dinner, or whatever, you didn’t eat anything, and you’re really hungry. Plus, you have no food left. 

Well, you have those stupid granola bars, but fuck those.

There seems to be another restaurant, or, at least, place to get food. Above a pair of doors, there is a sign with the same _MTT_ as before, and a drawing of a burger. You walk over to them, opening one of the heavy doors and walking up to a golden counter.

Hell, everything in here is just about gold.

The walls, the condiment bottles, the kitchen in the back. Well, you can only see some of it through the opening for, like, orders and stuff. Behind the counter is a cat monster who is a couple inches taller than you. His fur is a light brown, and he is wearing a dark salmon uniform, along with a tiny, yellow hat with the letter _M_ on it. The letter is the same colour as his uniform. Behind him, on the wall, is a menu with only four items. The whole space is pretty small, clearly only used for ordering food.

“Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Glamburger. Sparkle up your day.” The monster says, murmuring “TM” after saying the second sentence. His voice and small smile are strained, faking cheerfulness. Obviously, this guy is being paid to look happy. Feeling kinda bad for him, you smile and look at the menu.

_Woah!_  

The lowest price for an item is 60G and the highest price is 500G. The other two prices are 120G and 300G.

_I’m going to go broke, aren’t I._

“Uhh, one Glamburger, please.” You tell him. The Glamburger is priced at 120G, leaving you with only 634G left. The guy nods and turns around, going over to the opening to the kitchen and saying, “One Glamburger.” After only a couple seconds, another monster gives him the burger, which is in a golden wrapper. He turns around and hands you the burger. 

By the way, you’re kind of excited to try the burger. There’s this restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory, that calls their burgers Glamburgers, so you wonder if it tastes like those. You’ve only been to this place three times, but it was really good each time. You got one of the burgers twice.

Moving on.

“Thanksy! Have a _fabu-ful_ day!!” He exclaims with even more fake joy than before.

_Jesus._

“Hey, dude, you don’t, uh... have to do that? Um, what I’m trying to say is... are you good?” You slowly say, putting your right elbow on the counter, leaning against it while holding the burger in your left hand. 

“What? Why are you trying to talk to me? I’ll get in trouble if I get chummy with the customers. Sorry.” He says, puzzled.

“O-oh, no, _I’m_ sorry, I-I don’t want to get you in trouble. It’s just... uhhhh, hey, maybe we’re not talking, maybe you’re just trying to sell me some more food.” You say slowly. He doesn’t say anything for a second.

“So, I wanted to be an actor!” He suddenly says.

“That’s cool! Is this job, like, a stepping stone on your way to the top?” 

“Probably not.” He shrugs. He then reaches down behind the counter, grabs a cigarette and a lighter, fucking lights the cigarette, puts the lighter back, and puts the cigarette in his mouth. 

_The fuck? Well, hey, his voice isn’t as strained as it was before, so maybe he’s a little bit more comfortable._

“I’m getting on in years, so let me give you some advice, little buddy.” Yep, definitely less strained than before.

“Uh, okay.”

“You’ve still got time. Don’t live like me. I’m 19 years old and I’ve already wasted my entire life.” 

_Wow, how relatable._

“Well, there’s still hope. Got, uh, any more advice for me?” You ask him.

“Listen. I like you, little buddy. So I’m gonna save you a lot of trouble. Never interact with attractive people. Unless you’re ‘one of them’, they’re just gonna take advantage of you. Like that time those two chicks asked me to sneak them some Glamburgers.”

_Huh, wonder who he’s talking about._  

“And I, naïve teenager that I was, said yes to them. Bad idea. So I went out to the alleyway to see those two ladies, and uh... you know, see what’d happen next. Then my boss, uh, saw me and asked me what I was doing. I was so startled, the hamburgers in my pockets tumbled out onto the ground. Not wanting to lose face, I scrambled to pick them up! But, as I was leaning over, the weight of the remaining hamburgers... caused my pants to fall down. Then the girls laughed at me.”

_Oh my god, this poor guy! Those girls are should’ve helped him or something!_  

“Everyone calls me Burgerpants now.” He says sadly.

“No.” You immediately say after he’s done talking.

“No?” He repeats. 

“No. Everyone else might call you that, but you know what?” You take your right arm off the counter and stick your hand out towards him.

“That nickname has a bad connotation. In fact, it’s horrible. I’m Molly, and I’d like to know your actual name.” You confidently say.

_Oh wow, I’ve never done anything like this before. I’m not the kind of person who introduces them self, or is extremely straightforward like that._

“Really?” You nod.

“Huh. You’re something else.” He grabs your hand and shakes it.

“Name’s Mateo. But, uh, in school, people would call me Teo for short.”

“That’s a nice name!” You compliment him.

_Much better than Burgerpants._

“Thanks, you, too.” He lets go of you hand. You lean back onto the counter.

“So, your boss would be Mettaton, right? How do you feel about him?” 

“When I first came to Hotland, it was my dream to work with Mettaton... well, be careful what you wish for, little buddy!” He tells you regretfully. 

“Huh? W-why is Mettaton bad? Besides all the, um, obvious reasons, of course.” When you say that, you mean as in trying to kill you.

“God, have you even looked around? This place is a labyrinth of bad choices! And every time we try to change something for the better, he vetoes it and says, ‘that’s not how they do it on the surface.’ Oh! _Right_! Humans are always eating hamburgers made out of glitter and glue!” 

You’re a little less excited to try this burger now.

“Any other reasons?” 

“Why do people find him so attractive?? He’s literally just a freaking rectangle.”

“Ha, wow, I’ve never seen him as attractive or anything like that, but that’s really true.”

“You know, one time, I bought one of those, uh, kits online... to... uh, make yourself more rectangular... they don’t work.”

_Why the hell is that a thing._

“Uh, hey, so, back to your acting career! What’s your future look like once you head off into stardom?” 

“Future? _What_ future? Nothing down here ever changes! I’ll probably be trapped at this stupid job forever.” Before you can disagree with him, he continues talking.

“But wait! There’s one thing that keeps me going! If Asgore gets just one more soul, we’ll finally get to the surface! It’ll be a brand new world! There’s gotta be a second chance out there for me! For everyone!” Once he said that, Sans’ words echo in your mind.

_is what you have to do really worth it?_

_Yes._

_And this helps prove it._

“So stay strong, little buddy. When I make it big, I’ll keep you in mind.” He finishes, smiling. 

“Thanks. I-I’ll see you later. Bye.” I quickly tell him, walking away as I hear him say, “Bye.” As you walk back into the lobby, you think about what he said about those two girls. 

_Mateo said that they’re in the alleyway. Perhaps one of the alleyways next to the resort._  

Before going back outside, you put the Glamburger in your backpack, no longer hungry. Then you walk out the doors and take a left, going down an alleyway.

_Yep, this is it._

You walk up to two monsters at the end of the alleyway. The one on the left is a tall, alligator monster. Her skin is a neon sea-foam, and her hair is curly and blonde. She’s wearing a pink poncho with yellow and blue stripes over a short, long sleeve shirt. One sleeve is blue with black stripes while the other is yellow with blue stripes. Her pants are black and ripped, and her shoes are yellow sandals. The monster on the right is a short, cat monster. Her fur is a neon purple, and her short, black hair has blue and purple tips on the front of it. She’s wearing a pair of blue overalls that have some yellow fabric near the straps. Her shoes are pink sneakers, and one of her ears has a golden earring on it. 

_Oh my gosh, I love these girls’ outfits!_  

Behind them, on the wall, is a sign that reads: _Bratty and Catty_. Also behind them, on be ground, is a pink sheet in perfect condition. There’s a couple stuff on it.

“Hey! Check it out!” The girl on the left says. 

“Yeah! Check it out!” The one on the right agrees. You smile at them, introducing yourself, since that’s a thing you do now, apparently.

“I’m Bratty, and this is my best friend, Catty!” The monster on the left says whilst the one on the right says with her in unison, “I’m Catty, and this is my best friend, Bratty!”

_Uh, okay._

You would ask them more stuff, but you become too focused on one of the items on the pink sheet.

“Hey, what’s up with the key?” Next to it is a small, white notecard with “Mystery Key: 600G” written on it.

“I don’t know, but...” Bratty starts.

“...it’s probably to someone’s house!” Catty finishes the sentence. They both laugh. 

_I don’t know why, but I want that key._

“I’ll buy it.” You say.

_Oh my god, am I seriously about to do this?_

You get out the appropriate amount of Gold and hand it to Catty. Bratty turns around and grabs the key, turning back around and handing it to you.

“Bratty, we’re gonna be rich!” Catty happily says. Bratty agrees with her, and they both smile widely. 

“Thanks.” You tell them before walking away to where you first came from, the area with Kendall and the Royal Guards.

You think you know exactly where this key goes.

After about twenty minutes, you finally find your way back to Waterfall, or, more specially, Napstablook’s house. But it’s not his house that has gained your interest.

It’s the one right next to it.

A house that is identical to Napstablook’s, besides the fact that it’s red, is right next to his. That one time you came over to Napstablook’s house, this house immediately piqued your interest, but you had decided not to ask him about it. 

Plus, you love a good mystery, and you’re absolutely curious about what may happen right now.

In addition, you’re also not sure why you believe the key to belong to this house, it’s, like, a gut feeling.

You knock on the door.

“Hello? Anyone home?” No one answers. You knock and call out a bit louder.

“Hello?! I think I have your key!!” Still no reply.

_I hate to intrude on other people’s privacy, but..._

You kept the key in your hand the entire time, so you already have it out.

_Here goes nothing._

You put the key in the lock and turn it. A satisfying click resounds throughout the quiet atmosphere. Before you can take the key out of the lock, it somehow disappears. You ignore that and turn the handle, opening the door and closing it behind you. 

_Oh my._

Everything, you mean EVERYTHING, is a different shade of pink. There are walls have stripes with stars, there’s a bed in the corner with a pillow that has a star on it, there’s a poster on the wall that has two people dancing (it’s something about a movie), a floor mat on the ground with a big star on it, a TV on a small table in another corner, and a window with a curtain that has stars on it.

So, in summary, a lot of pink and stars.

On the ground, scattered about, are six books. You sit down in front of the book on the very left and open it in an attempt to find out who lives here. 

_Dear Diary,_

_Shyren’s sister “fell down” recently. It’s sad. Without her sister to speak for her... she’s become more reclusive than ever. So I reached out to her and told her... that she, Blooky, and I should all perform together sometime. She seemed to like that idea._  

That’s it. There’s nothing else in the rest of the book. 

_Whose house_ is _this?_

You go to the next book.

_Dearer Diary,_

_I like to buy a new diary for every entry I make. I love to collect diaries._

That’s it. You read the next one.

_Dearest Diary,_

_Our cousin left the farm to become a training dummy. That leaves just Blooky and I. Blooky asked me if I was going to try to become corporeal, too. He sounded so... resigned. Come on, Blooky. You know I’d never leave you behind. And besides... I’d never find the body I’m looking for, anyway._

_Are they talking about that mad dummy I fought? And what body would this person be looking for?_

You read the fourth diary.

_My Darling Diary,_

_I met someone... interesting. Last week I posted that advertisement for my Human Fanclub. Today was our first meeting. Only one other person came. Honestly, she’s a dork. And she’s obsessed with these awful cartoons. But she’s kind of funny, too... I want to see her again._

_Did they meet Alphys?_

You read the next diary.

_Diary... My Dear,_

_My diary collection is going fabulously. I have like five now._

_Wow, what a great entry._

You read the last diary.

_Dear Diary,_

_She surprised me with something today. Sketches of a body that she wants to create for me. A form beyond my wildest fantasies. In a form like that, I could finally feel like... “myself.” After all, there’s no way I can be a star the way I am now. Sorry, Blooky. My dreams can’t wait for anyone..._

You slowly close the book. 

_This is Mettaton’s house. It must be. He met Alphys, Alphys built that body for him._

_Mettaton left Napstablook to pursue his dreams._

“Damn, Mettaton.” You say to no one, unless you count the house. You could. But, it’s just a house.

 

Just an empty house full of memories.

 

 

_Damn._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the sixteenth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time is I Don’t Know Why by Imagine Dragons. I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, and I’ll talk to you soon!
> 
> P.S. There are two things I want to explain. 1. Toriel made Sans make that promise when she first found Molly. It was when she had taken her home, and she had fainted. That’s why she used “her” pronouns. It’s cause she was worried about Molly leaving her... 2. I made Teo the nickname for Burgerpants instead of Mat because I think that a name that’s starts with T fits him, but I could find any good T names for him. 
> 
> Oh, and I wonder what’s going on with Molly.
> 
> Maybe you’ll find out soon! Byeeeee!!!


	17. Rumour Has It You’ve Lied To Me About Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find out the truth about a lot of things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. This is seriously the least I’ve ever procrastinated on anything. I’m truly surprised that I’ve already got this update ready for you guys. School is almost. Out. I can. See the. End. It’s so close!! Hope you guys like this chapter, and I’ll talk to you later!!!!!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

You take your ringing phone out of your pocket and answer it for the eighth time in the past thirty minutes.

“M... more lasers...! Okay, I... I won’t mess around this time. I’ll just deactivate the lasers and let you through!” Alphys tells you, shortly pausing. 

“They’re... they’re not turning off... I can’t turn them off, I... i-i-it’s okay! I have this under control! I’m going to turn off the p-power for the whole node! Then you can walk across!” She pauses again, the lights turning off. You hear a generator come on as dim lights turn on. 

“Okay, go!” She hangs up the phone. You stare ahead at the lasers that are frozen in place. Right now, you’re in the Core. There was a door that led straight here in the resort. Alphys has been helping you find your way, but, uh... 

She hasn’t been doing a very good job. 

Like, no offence to Alphys, or anything, but every time she tells you to do something, she leads you to danger, not away from it. You’ve managed, though. You somehow haven’t gotten hurt. 

Yet.

You keep your phone in your hand, since Alphys has been calling you so much, and cautiously walk under the hovering orbs. You have a bad feeling about all this. This is your second time encountering lasers in here, and the first time did not go that well. You’re almost halfway across the small, metal, indigo bridge that you’re walking on when Alphys calls you. You stop and answer the phone.

“W-WAIT! STOP!” She screams to you as the power turns back on. To your left, the lasers turn back on, also. Their blue beams go right through you. You don’t dare to move. Thankfully, these are blue lasers, which means you need to stay still. If they had been orange, you would’ve been forced to start moving so that you wouldn’t get hurt. 

“Th-the power... it’s turning itself back on. D-damn it... th-this isn’t supposed to... I... I’m gonna turn it off again. When it turns off, move a little, and then STOP. Okay? Y-you won’t get h-h-hurt.” She hangs up again, along with the power going off. You take a few hesitant steps before the power already comes back on. 

_Holy crap, this is stressful!_

You repeat this process four more times before you’re finally off the bridge and away from the lasers. You take a deep breath, running your free hand through your hair whilst answering your phone again.  

“S-see? I’ve got this all under control!” 

_I’m not sure about that._

“Everything’s under control!” She repeats, hanging up the phone. The power stops flashing on and off. You take a left, stopping at another crossroads and answering your phone.

“Okay! Y-you should... you should... I don’t know?”

_What?_

“This doesn’t look like my map at all... I’m sorry... I... I... I have to go.”

“A-Alphys, wa-“ She hangs up, cutting you off. 

_Oh, Alphys..._

You sigh and put your phone back into your pocket, looking around. You have three options to choose from: North, West, East. There are some signs on the blue walls, one on the left, and one on the right. Those paths have a green/gray hexagonal tiled floor, whilst the path in front of tou remains the same. It’s nearly identical to the walls, what with the material and modernised design (it kind of has a design of, like, data... lines, if that makes any sense).

_This’ll take a while._

And it did. 

Well, it was only another half hour, but it felt like a long time. You had to fight some monsters, solve some puzzles. Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad.

So, now you’re at the end, or, close to it, you think. You’re at the only dead end with doors. There’s an elevator here that leads to the front entry of the Core (it wasn’t working before, but it is now), and there is a doorway that has a very weird design on the top of it. If you didn’t know any better, you’d say that it is the Delta Rune, but bigger, and there are lines instead of triangles.  

You’re hesitant to walk through the door. It symbolises the end.

Hell, you’re  _scared_.

You’re also worried about Alphys. She hasn’t called you back, so you hope she’s alright.

You take a deep breath and push past your fears, walking through the doorway. The room is dark, and you’re standing on some kind of platform. About twenty feet ahead of you is a doorway.

Between the you and the doorway is Mettaton, whom you stand a couple feet away from.

“Oh yes. There you are, darling. It’s time to have our little showdown. It’s time to finally stop the ‘malfunctioning’ robot... not!!!”

_What?_

“Malfunction? Reprogramming? Get real. This was all just a big show. An act. Alphys has been playing you for a fool the whole time. As she watched you on the screen, she grew attached to your adventure. She desperately wanted to be a part of it. So she decided to insert herself into your story. She reactivated puzzles. She disabled elevators. She enlisted me to torment you.” 

_No... I... I thought something was off, but..._

_I didn’t want to be right._

“All so she could save you from the dangers that didn’t exist. All so you would think she’s the great person that she’s not. And now, it’s time for her finest hour. At this very moment, Alphys is waiting outside the room. During our ‘battle,’ she will interrupt. She will pretend to ‘deactivate’ me, ‘saving’ you one final time. Finally. She’ll be the heroine of your adventure. You’ll regard her so highly, she’ll even be able to convince you not to leave... or not. You see, I’ve had enough of this predictable charade. I have no desire to hurt humans. Far from it, actually. My only desire is to entertain. After all, the audience deserves a good show, don’t they? And what’s a good show... without a plot twist?” Behind you, you hear two doors slide and hit each other. You turn around to see the doorway, now blocked off. A knocking sound can be heard from the other side of the door. 

“H-hey!!! Wh-wh-what’s going on!? Th-th-the door just locked itself!” Alphys shouts, her voice muffled.  

“Sorry, folks! The old program’s been cancelled!” You turn back towards Mettaton. Five big, red spotlights surround him and one white spotlight shines on him. You notice that camera hanging on the ceiling. “But we’ve got a finale that will drive you wild!!” The platform rises a little. 

_What the...?_

Suddenly, it shoots up into the air, quickly increasing its height. Your hair flies up a little bit, and you feel wind rushing against your arms. 

“Real drama!! Real action!! Real bloodshed!!” Mettaton’s panels flash from yellow to red (at first, they were just red). “On our new show...”

“Attack of the Killer Robot!” Music begins to play, and your soul forms in front of you as you take your phone out and press the yellow button. 

_Here we go._

“Yes, I was the one that rearranged the Core. I was the one that hired everyone to kill you! That, however, was a short-sighted plan. You know what would be a hundred times better? Killing you myself!!”

_Jeez, Mettaton._

“Listen, darling, I’ve seen you fight. You’re weak. If you continue forward, Asgore will take your soul. And with your soul, Asgore will destroy humanity.” Boxes begin flying towards you. Using your horizontal, yellow-outlined soul, tou shoot them all, causing them to disappear.

“But if I get your soul, I can stop Asgore’s plan. I can save humanity from destruction.” You shoot some more boxes.

“Then, using your soul, I’ll cross the barrier and become the star I’ve always dreamed of being! Hundreds, thousands, no! Millions of humans will watch me!” You shoot even more boxes.

“Glitz! Glamour! I’ll finally have it all! So what if a few people have to die? That’s show business, baby!” Before any boxes can appear and head towards you, your phone rings. Oddly enough, Mettaton pauses his attack and allows you to answer it.

“U... uh... I can’t see what’s going on in there, but... d-d-don’t give up, okay!? Th... there’s o-one l-l-last way to beat Mettaton... it’s... um... it’s... this is a work in-progress, so don’t judge it too hard...” 

_I won’t, Alphys, just tell me what it is!!!!_

“But, you know how Mettaton always faces f-f-forward? That’s because there’s a switch on his backside. S-s-so, if y-y-you c-c-can turn him around... um... and, umm... press th-th-th-the switch.... he’ll be... um... he’ll be... vulnerable.”

_Ohhhh, so that time when I shot him with my soul beam-things, he_ was _just acting._  

“Well, g-g-gotta go!” She hangs up the phone. Since it’s your turn right now in the fight, it seems like a good time to turn Mettaton around.

“Oh my gosh, Mettaton, I just noticed that there’s a huge mirror behind you!” You tell him, not knowing any other excuses. 

“Oh??? A mirror??? Right, I have to look perfect for our grand finale!” He turns around. “Hmmm... I don’t see it... where is it...?” On the top of his back, in big, white letters, is the word “Switch”, with an arrow below it. The arrow is pointing downwards, directly at the switch. You quickly walk up to him and flip it. The music stops. Mettaton freezes in place. 

“Did you. Jut flip. My switch?”

“Uh...” You take a small step backwards. Mettaton turns around and begins to shake violently, his panels flashing wilder than they ever have before. You take another step backwards when a white flash occurs, startling you. You close your eyes, the brightness of the light almost too strong. 

“Ohhhh yesss!!”

_Um, what._  

You slowly open your eyes again. Fog has somehow appeared, and in it, you see a tall silhouette of a person. Chords of an electric guitar are played as Mettaton begins to talk to you. 

“Ohhhh my. If you flipped my switch, that can only mean one thing. You’re desperate for the premiere of my new body.”

_Not exactly._

“How rude... lucky for you, I’ve been aching to show this off for a long time. So... as a thanks, I’ll give you a handsome reward. I’ll make your last living moments...”

_Holy..._

“Absolutely beautiful!” The fog has cleared, revealing Mettaton’s new body. Almost a foot taller than you (before he was only a couple inches taller), his body is similar to an actual body. Like, a person. He’s wearing bright pink boots that go up to right under his knee, like Go-Go boots. His legs are black, along with his wavy hair, which is covering part of the right side of his face, and largish shoulder pads. His face is white, with some lines that show how he’s still a robot. He’s wearing a dark purple eyeshadow, so dark it could almost be black, and his eye colour is a bright pink. His chest is the same pink as his boots; on the left side is a white dial and on the right side are holes, like, a speaker. His core is made of the same material as his arms, and in the middle of it is a large, pink heart. 

A different track of music begins to play in the background, and one of the black squares appear above you and to your left. It’s a graph with a pink line that is constantly in motion, a straight blue line, and a straight yellow line. On the top of it is the word “Ratings” and next to that is the number “4000,” which begins to slowly decrease. 

“Lights! Camera! Action!” You turn to Mettaton, who quickly walks up to you and starts trying to fucking kick me. You gasp as you dodge the first ones. His legs are so long, and he moves so quickly that he is almost able to come in contact with you.

But he’s not fast enough.

After six tries, he stops, posing dramatically.

“Drama! Romance! Bloodshed!” Tiny versions of Mettaton (the old, rectangular one) that are holding little umbrellas fly towards you, throwing small bombs. You shoot at them, and the bombs, getting out of the way when needed. Unfortunately, on the last bomb, you didn’t move out of the way in time, so the blast hit you a little bit. It didn’t really hurt or anything, it was just like a really strong pinch on your arm. You look at the ratings, noticing that underneath the square it says “Violence +25” in bright green letters. The ratings do, in fact, go up.

_Am I supposed to increase the ratings? Like, to those yellow and blue lines?_  

You decide to start trying to increase the ratings, hoping that it will help end the fight. Before you can think of anything to do that might help the ratings increase, Mettaton starts talking.

“I’m the idol everyone craves!” He tries kicking me some more, and boxes again fly towards me, but you don’t get hit.

_Mettaton is always posing, so maybe I should do that...?_  

You put your right hand on your hip, still holding your phone with that hand. You lean a little bit and, with your left hand, flip yout hair and roll your eyes. 

_I feel so fucking stupid._

It works, though. Mettaton glares at you, and you notice the ratings increasing at a much faster pace.

“Smile for the camera!” More of the miniature Mettatons head towards you. You shoot them all before they throw bombs at you. After the attack is done, you pose again. 

“Oooh, its time for a pop quiz. I hope you brought a keyboard... this ones an essay question!” The large black rectangle appears, and another black square also appears. On the square, it reads: _Essay Prompt: What Do You Love Most About Mettaton? (No X or Z)_. On the bottom of the rectangle is a white outline of a keyboard.

_What the hell._  

You start typing quickly, knowing how much time you have to answer the question. After about thirty seconds, the keyboard disappears. You read over your response one last time before the rectangle and square also disappear. 

_The thing I love most about Mettaton is his hair, it’s so perfect. And his personality, and body, sorry, it’s hard to choose._

_So I may have fibbed just a little bit for ratings..._

“Beautiful. Why don’t you write a book?” The ratings increase (they’re a little over 5000 now), and you pose again, this time crossing your arms and looking bored.

“Your essay really showed everyone your heart. Why don’t I show you mine?” His torso opens, revealing a bright pink heart. It leaves him and floats in front of him. You wonder what this is, since it can’t be his soul. You had read that monster souls are upside down, and pink is not a base colour for souls. 

Nevertheless, it seems to have a connection to him, so you try to hit it. It releases numerous, little sparks that would probably shock you if you got hit by them, and more of the small Mettaton’s try to attack you. You don’t know how, but you don’t get hit, and am able to strongly damage the heart. It goes back inside of him. 

_I... feel bad. I don’t want to hurt him. And that looked like it hurt._

You pose, both hands on your hips, trying not to look like you feel bad for him. 

“Ooooh, I’m just warming up!” About fifteen of the Mettaton juniors head towards you. You’re not able to shoot all of them in time, so you are forced to dodge some of the bombs. Then, you pose the same way you did last turn. 

“But how are you on the dance floor!?” A disco ball comes down from the ceiling. White and blue lasers come out of it. You recognise the blue lasers from before. You can’t move out of the way of the lasers, so when the blue ones come by, you don’t move, and when the white ones come by, yoh shoot the disco ball, and it changes the lasers to blue. If the lasers are white, you can’t do anything to stop them from hurting you. You don’t get hurt and, once the attack is done, you pose the way you did the first time. 

“Can you keep up the pace!?” The lasers move much faster this time, but you still don’t get hurt. You pose again, smiling and making a peace sign.

“Lights! Camera! Bombs!” The mini Mettatons come towards you, throwing more bombs faster than they were before. You rapidly attempt to shoot them, almost getting hit more than twice. You pose the same way you did last time. 

“Things are blowing up!” More of the small Mettaton’s attack you, faster than ever. You get hurt again, the same way you did last time. You put your phone in your pocket for a second, putting your hair up in a ponytail. The ratings, which are now around 6000, go up because of “Fashion.” 

“Time for our union-regulated break!” No attack, just a break, like he said. You’re grateful for it, cause it gives you a chance to catch your breath. It’s getting to be a little difficult. 

“We’ve grown so distant, darling...” Mettaton says after a minute of the break time, “how about another heart-to-heart?” The heart comes out of his midsection again. The attack is just like before, except, instead of the tiny Mettatons, there are boxes around the heart, trying to protect it. After a minute or two of you dodging the zaps and shooting at the heart and the boxes, you finally manage to hit Mettaton’s heart the needed amount of times, causing... 

_Oh no._

Causing his arms to fall off.

They hit the ground, exploding upon impact. Mettaton looks shocked for a moment, but goes instantly goes back to his smiling, confident persona. Steam leaves the area where his arms were.

You don’t pose this time.

“A... arms? Wh... who needs arms with legs like these? I’m still going to win!” The small Mettatons attack you. You don’t pose again. 

“Come on...!” More of the mini Mettatons. You still don’t pose. 

“The show... must go on!!” Bombs and boxes fly at you. You don’t get hit, and you don’t pose. It doesn’t seem to matter, though. The ratings increase rapidly.

“Dr... drama! A... action!” The sans attack as before. You do the same as you did last time. 

“L... lights... c... camera... enough of this! Do you really want humanity to perish!?”

_No!_  

“... or do you just really believe in yourself that much?”

_Again, no!_

It’s still the same attack. You don’t hit, and you don’t pose.

“Haha, how inspiring! Well, darling! It’s either me or you! But I think we both already know who’s going to win. Witness the true power of humanity’s star!” His heart comes out. You shoot at it, zaps and bombs flying towards you. Plus, Mettaton is trying to kick me again. You almost get kicked in the face. But, you manage to not get hit. Once the attack is over...

Mettaton’s legs come off.

Just like his arms, they explode once the fully disconnect from his body. Now all that’s left of his is his torso and his head. He can’t even move anymore.

You feel horrible. 

“... then.. are _you_ the star? Can you really protect humanity!?”

_I don’t..._

His heart remains out, and sends the zaps your way. But only those. No boxes, no little Mettatons, nothing else. You shoot the heart until it retreats back inside of him.

“Ooh, look at these ratings!!!”

_What?_  

You look at the ratings. The number is over 10,000. 

“This is the most viewers I’ve ever had!!! We’ve reached the viewer call-in milestone! One lucky viewers will have the chance to talk to me before I leave the Underground forever! Let’s see who calls in first!” The music has stopped, and you can hear a phone ring for a second before being immediately picked up. 

“Hi, you’re on TV! What do you have to say on this, our last show???”

“Oh....” A small voice echoes throughout the room. You guess that it’s coming from a speaker, or something. Wherever the music had been coming from. Speaking of which, soft music begins to quietly play in the background.

“Hi... Mettaton... I really liked watching your show... my life is pretty boring... but...”

_Oh my god, I think that’s Napstablook!_

“Seeing you on the screen... brought excitement to my life... vicariously. I can’t tell, but... I guess this is the last episode...? I’ll miss you... Mettaton... oh... I didn’t mean to talk so long... oh...” 

“No, wait! Wait, Bl...” Mettaton tries to have Napstablook stay on the line. But it’s useless. The dial tone can be heard.

“H... he already hung up... I’ll take another caller!!!” More people begin talking all at once, saying how much they love Mettaton, and how much they’ll miss him. 

_This is so sad._

After a few more calls, they stop, and Mettaton sighs.

“Ah... I... I see... everyone... thank you so much. Darling.” He looks at you, a sincere look in his eyes. “Perhaps... it might be better if I stay here for a while. Humans already have stars and idols, but monsters... they only have me. If I left, the Underground would lose its spark. I’d leave an aching void that could never be filled. So... I think I’ll have to delay my big debut. Besides. You’ve proven to be very strong. Perhaps... even strong enough to get past Asgore.”

_Mettaton..._  

“I’m sure you’ll be able to protect humanity. Ha, ha... it’s all for the best, anyway. The truth is, this form’s energy consumption is inefficient. In a few moments, I’ll run out of battery power, and... well. I’ll be alright. Knock ‘em dead, darling.” He smiles confidently. “And everyone... thank you. You’ve been a great audience!” The camera goes away. The music stops. The platform lowers (it has stopped rising once Mettaton and you had started fighting) back down. The yellow outline around your soul goes away, and it reverts back to its normal position before disappearing. You put your phone away and look at Mettaton, who has now turned off.

It only looks like he’s sleeping.

“I... I managed to open the lock! Are you two...” Alphys says, walking up next to you. Her eyes land on Mettaton.

“Oh my god.” She quickly goes up to Mettaton. It looks like she’s checking some of his vitals.

“Mettaton! Mettaton, are you...?” She continues trying to make sure he’s okay. Obviously, she wasn’t watching the show, and she hadn’t been able to hear what he had been saying.

“... thank _god_ , it’s just the batteries. Mettaton, if you were gone, I would have... I would have... I m-mean, h-hey, it’s n-no problem, you know?”

_No._

“He’s just a robot, if you messed it up, I c-could always... j-just build another.” She stops talking. This is awkward, this is really freaking awkward. 

Because you know that she’s been lying to you. 

“Why don’t you go on ahead?” She turns towards you. “I... I just need a moment.” She turns back towards Mettaton.

“Oh, uh, yeah, o-of course.” You tell her, walking past the two of them and through a doorway. The walls and floor are now back to how they used to be, as in, in the Core. You take a right and walk slowly, waiting for Alphys. After a couple of steps, she catches up to you. 

“S... sorry about that! L-let’s k-keep going!” You only nod and continue walking. Ahead of you, at the end of the hall, you see an elevator on the left side of the wall. 

“S-so, you’re about to meet Asgore, huh? You must be... y-you must be... pr... pretty excited about all that, huh?” She asks you. You shrug. 

“I... I don’t know how to feel.” You say. It’s the first time you’ve ever answered someone when they’ve asked you about meeting Asgore.

You finally found a way to not lie. Because it’s true.

You don’t know how to feel.

Alphys doesn’t say anything back. You both continue walking, not saying anything.

“You’ll f-f-finally... you’ll finally get to go home!” She unexpectedly says. You nod silently. 

She sounds more anxious than usual... even guilty...? You don’t think she knows that you know what she did, so...

_What else has she been lying to me about._

Hopefully, she wants to confess to you how she lied about Mettaton and stuff.

After a moment of silence, you make your to the end of the hall, in front of the elevator. 

“Well, I, uh, guess that this is goodbye, Alphys.” You tell her before pressing the button next to the elevator. The doors open. 

“W... wait!” She stops you from getting on the elevator. You turn towards her.

“I mean, um... I... I was just going to... um... say goodbye, too, and...” She stops talking, wringing her hands. She takes a shaky breath, turning away from you.

“I can’t take this anymore. I... I lied to you.”

_Alphys..._

“A human soul isn’t strong enough to cross the barrier alone.”

_Wait, what? This isn’t... this isn’t what I thought she was about to say._

“It takes at least a human soul... and a monster soul.”

_What. Does this mean..._

“If you want to go home... you’ll have to take his soul. You’ll have to kill Asgore.”

_Oh god._

_No._

_No no no._

_So even if I... if I didn’t want to..._

Alphys starts to walk away.

“Please, Alphys, _please_ tell me that there’s another way.” You beg of her. She stops.

“No... I’m sorry.” She walks away. Addled by what she just told you, you step into the elevator and press one of the many buttons, hoping that you pressed the right one. The doors close as you lose yourself in your thoughts. 

_God, oh god, I’m not leaving this place, am I?_

_No, I-I can’t think like that, I’ve already made up my mind, I already decided..._

_But I still had faith. I had hope. That there would be another way, another path, another option._

_Another anything._

_I’m not ready, please, oh_ god _, I don’t think I’m ready t-_

“Ugh!” You almost fall over, slamming into the wall of the elevator. You cover your mouth with your hand, bile rising in your throat. Everything is spinning, you think you’re going to throw up. You try to swallow the vomit, but it’s hard to do since you can’t breathe you can’t you can’t breathe you need help please you can’t 

 

breathe.

 

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

 

Your phone starts ringing. You listen to it.

_Focus on that._

You take a sharp inhale and swallow. You feel tears run down your hand. 

_Stop._

 

_Breathe._

 

_Ring..._

 

You take a deep breath as you grab your phone out of your pocket. It’s Papyrus. You take another deep breath and answer the phone. 

“H-hello?” Your voice is wavering.

“Hey...! Uh, this is Undyne...” In the background, you can hear Papyrus’ voice, but you’re too distrait about trying not to sob whilst you’re the phone.

“Shut up, Papyrus! This was your idea!” Undyne yells, taking the phone away from her face and causing her voice to sound a little distant.

“HUMAN! You have to deliver something for me! Uh, please?” 

“O-oh, sure.” 

“I’m at Snowdin in front of Papyrus’. See ya, punk!” She hangs up the phone at the same time the elevator doors open. You put your phone away, your hands shaking as you wipe the tears off your face. Still taking deep breathes, you turn around and press another button, not even bothering to look at what’s on the other side of this elevator. 

_Maybe this will help me... get prepared._

_I hope so._

_God, I hope so._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the seventeenth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time was Rumour Has It by Adele. Oof, writing the end of this chapter made me feel so freaking bad for Molly.
> 
> Oh, and, about that vertigo she got...
> 
> Do you really think that it happened cause of her panicking?
> 
> Cause, I think something else happened.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I’ll talk to you soon, byeeee!!!!


	18. If This Ain’t Love, Then I Don’t Know What Love Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You help out Alphys and Undyne... in a weird, nice kind of way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey!!! Here’s another update for yaaaaaa! I have, like, one thing for school and then that’s it, oh my gosh, yaaaaay! I literally just need to turn it in tomorrow, so I’ll probs write a lot in these upcoming days. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I’ll talk to you soon!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

“Um, so, I have a favour to as you.” Undyne tells you when you walk up to her in front of Papyrus and Sans’ house. Once you got back to Snowdin, you had calmed down. You’re still sort of freaking out, but you’re trying to not focus on... 

That whole issue.

You nod, motioning her to continue. 

“Uuuuh, I... I need you to deliver this letter. To Dr. Alphys.” 

“So, wait, why do you want me to do it? Wouldn’t you rather do it yourself?” You ask her.

“... um. W-well...” She blushes slightly, smiling embarrassedly and grabbing for words. It’s weird to see her like this, she’s always so confident and... loud. This is a new side of her.

“I-it’s kind of personal, but we’re friends... so... I’ll t-tell you... Hotland SUUUUCKS!!!” She smiles wide, regaining her confidence.

_Oh._

“I don’t wanna have to go over there!!! So, here you go!” She hands you a white envelope. You take your hand out of the pocket of your sweatshirt (you put in on when you got to Snowdin, it’s so cold!!) and grab the letter. You take your backpack off and carefully put the letter in it.

“Oh, and if you read it...” You put your backpack back on, looking back up at Undyne, whose gaze has become quite threatening. “I’ll KILL you.” 

_Definitely not reading the letter._

“Thanks! You’re the best!!” You nod and smile at her before walking away. You would’ve said hi to Papyrus, but Undyne had told you that they had been cooking something and she only came out here to give you the letter.

No offense, but you’re surprised the house isn’t on fire yet.

Um, well, maybe not _yet_... you hope.

It takes a while to get from Snowdin to Alphys’s Lab in Hotland, so whilst you make your way there, you think about how awkward this is about to be. You just found out she lied to you about a lot of things, you didn’t even talk about it, so you kind of left things on a bad note.

Hopefully, you won’t have to talk to her. 

Don’t get it wrong, you like Alphys, you think she’s cool, kind, and absolutely brilliant. But, she lied to you, and you... 

Ugh, you have trouble talking about things like that with other people. (Haha, before, you didn’t even talk). You have absolutely no idea what you would say to her. You probably do need to talk to her, though...

You don’t know what you should do. You’ll probably just wing it, or something like that, if you see her.

After half an hour, you finally walk up to the door to the lab, the letter in your hand. The door has no mail slot, so you guess you’ll just slide the letter under the it...? You might as well.

You knock on the door and slide the envelope under it. 

“O-oh n-no, is that another letter...?” You hear Alphys’ quiet, muffled voice on the other side of the door. “I don’t want to open it... c-can’t I just slide it back out...?”

_No, don’t do that, Alphys!_

“N... no... I can’t keep doing this. I’ll read this one.” She pauses for a second. You’re guessing that she’s opening the envelope. “Um... i-it’s shut k-kind of strongly, isn’t it?” 

_Oh, Undyne._

“Wait a second...” After a couple seconds, the door opens. Alphys stands in front of you, staring at the letter in her hand. 

“Hey, if this is a joke, it’s...” She looks up at you. “Oh my god? Did you write this letter?”

_What?_

“It wasn’t signed, so, I had no idea who could have...”

“N-“ 

“Oh my god. Oh no.” She interrupts you. “That’s adorable... and I h-had no idea you, um, wrote that way! It’s surprising, too... after all the gross stuff I did... I don’t really deserve to be forgiven. Much less, um... this? And so passionately, too.”

_What the fuck is in this letter?_

“... you know what, okay! I’ll do it! It’s the least I can do to make it up to you! Y-yeah! Let’s go on a date!” 

_What?!_

“W-what’s wrong? Don’t you want t-to go on a date?” You accidentally said that “What?!” aloud. 

“Uh, Alphys, hey, it’s not that I don’t like you or anything, but that letter is not from me.”

“Wait, what?” She asks, confused.

“Yeah, I only delivered it for someone. It was Undyne. Man, I can’t believe she didn’t... sign... uh, Alphys, are you okay?” The short monster has begun to blush profusely.

“Oh my god, th-that was Undyne’s letter?! Sh-she actually wants to go on a d-date with me? Oh no, I-I can’t do that, I’ll m-mess it up, I’ll ruin e-everything.” You notice that her grip on the letter has become too strong, she’s almost ripping it. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay! You won’t mess it up! I-in fact, I’ll make sure you don’t mess it up!”

“H-how?”

“Let’s go on that date! But, it’ll be, like, a practise one. Before your real date with Undyne!” 

“L-like roleplay?”

“Uh, yeah, sure. We’ll do this roleplay thing and then you’ll go on your date with Undyne, feeling as confident as ever.” You smile at her, hoping that you’ve calmed her down a bit. 

“Okay, I’ll d-do it.” She’s blushing a lot less than before.

“Great!” 

“L-let me get dressed, first.”

“Yeah, of course.” She walks back into the lab, and you stand patiently in front of the doors. After about twenty minutes, the doors open, and Alphys walks out, wearing a sleeveless black dress dress with polka dots. The bottom of it has little frills. 

“H-how do I look?”

“Amazing!!” 

“Th-thanks! My friend helped me pick out this dress. She’s got a great sense of... um, anyway. Which one of us will be Undyne?”

_What kind of... never mind._

“I’ll be Undyne. Are you ready?”

“Yes, I-I guess.” 

“I’ll take it!” You clear your throat. “So, A-“

“H-h-hey, w-w-wait!” She suddenly interrupts you.

“What? What is it?”

“Actually, we still can’t start the date yet! Um, I’ve gotta give you items to raise your affection statistic! That’ll increase the chance of a successful outcome to the date! Right...?”

“Totally! Just, uh, maybe don’t say it like that. U-unless you know that she thinks it’s cool when you talk all science-y and stuff! She probably does... but, um, yeah, just be like ‘I brought you a present, Undyne’ or something like that. Or what you said. Whichever one feels right in that moment.” 

_Oh god, what am I doing? I don’t know either of these women well enough to be helping them date each other!_  

“O-okay, sure! So, um, I-I would give you, or... U... Undyne, some metal armour polish! Oh, and I also brought some waterproof cream for your scales! And I have this magical spear repair kit, that I made j-just for you you!” She takes the small items out of the pockets of the dress.

“Oh, wow, Alphys, that’s so thoughtful!”

_That really is thoughtful, oh my gosh._  

“You can just keep them for now.” You murmur. She nods and puts them back in her pockets.

“Y-you know, uh, we should go somewhere! I k-know how much you d-dislike Hotland. But where’s a good place to go on a date...?” She pauses, thinking for a second. “I’ve got it!!! Let’s go to the garbage dump!!!”

_Uhhhhhhh, I’m not sure if that’s an ideal spot for a date._  

“We go there all the time, and find all great sorts of stuff.” She reassures you, probably seeing the hesitation on your face.

“Oh, okay, sure.”

After about fifteen minutes, you’re almost there. In the distance, you see Napstablook’s (and Mettaton’s...) house, so you’re about to get there. It’s where you had fallen off that bridge during that fight with Undyne.

That was literally only yesterday. Oh my god. Could it really have only been yesterday? Yeah, that happened, you had another fight, you met Alphys and Mettaton, Papyrus made you and Undyne become friends, and then you went to the Inn in Snowdin to fall asleep. 

_Now that I think about it, I’ve been in the Underground for five days now, this,_ this _is the fifth day. It seems like it’s been much longer than that. Though, at the same time, I can’t believe that it’s already been five days. That’s almost a whole week._

_I’ve almost been missing for a whole week. Has anyone even noticed? They must have, they always do those stupid body counts before we leave the mountain._  

_But what if they noticed I was gone, and they didn’t care. “Good riddance,” they probably said. “Never liked her anyway,” the other children probably said._  

_Or perhaps they didn’t notice. Perhaps they never noticed me. “Everyone’s here!” They probably said. “Everyone’s safe!” They probably said._  

_No. That couldn’t happen._

_Right?_

_No, of course not. They might hate me and not care about me, but there must be some record about me existing. And school! They must have noticed my sudden absences! I’m never absent! Someone, anyone must have noticed me not being there. The police are probably looking for me at this very second._

_... right?_  

You decide to stop (or, try to stop, at the very least) thinking about what’s going on above you, and focus on what’s going on right now. You just past the Napstablook’s house, so you’rs very close.

You look over to your right at Alphys. You notice that she hasn’t said anything during the way here. Usually, she’s the one who notices you being quiet. And she would usually say something to break the silence. 

“Are you okay?” You ask her, keeping your voice at a soft and quiet level. She looks up at you, having been distracted by staring at the ground and spacing out, like you just were.

“Yes! Um, w-well... no, actually.” You stop walking. Alphys does the same. 

“What’s wrong? Is it your anxiety?”

“Yes, b-but, that’s not what I-I mean. I-it’s Undyne. She’s way out of my league. She’s so confident... and strong... and funny... and I’m just a nobody. A fraud. I’m the royal scientist, but... all I’ve ever done is hurt people. I’ve told her so many lies, she thinks I’m... she thinks I’m a lot cooler than I actually am. If she gets close to me, she’ll... she’ll find out the truth about me. What should I do?” 

“Tell her the truth.” 

“The truth...? But if I tell her that, she’ll hate me. Isn’t it better this way? To live a lie where both people are happy... or a truth where neither of us are? They say ‘be yourself.’ But I don’t really like who ‘myself’ is. I’d rather just be whatever makes people like me.” You look at Alphys, feeling so much empathy for this poor woman. You have never related to anyone more than her. You knew that she wanted to be a be a better person, hence having Mettaton torment you, but... _this_ is how she thinks? 

“Alphys... god, I didn’t... I didn’t know. Listen, everything that you just said...? They’re lies. You only believe them because you keep on saying them to yourself. And you can’t do that. I know you might not like yourself, Alphys, and I understand that, I really, _really_ do, but you have to understand that we all care about you. Me, Mettaton, Catty and Bratty (you talked to them on the way to Alphys’s lab, and they used to live right next to her), Asgore, Undyne... we don’t care if you’ve lied. So what? We care about you, who you actually are. Alphys, you may have lied to me, but I don’t care. I forgive you. Because you’re such an amazing person. Brilliant, funny, nice... Undyne definitely knows that about you, even if you don’t. So, I promise you, that if you tell Undyne the truth, she’ll still love you for who you are.” 

“...”

Alphys stares at you, stunned. Halfway through talking, you shoved your hands in your pockets, speaking without a second thought. You don’t know if anyone’s ever told her that before. She deserves it. 

“Thank you, Molly. You’re right. Everyday I’m scared... scared what will happen if people learn the truth in their own. They’ll all get hurt because of me... but how can I tell Undyne the tr... truth?”

“It’s simple! We’ll practice doing that during the practice date! We’ll just pretend that you guys have been talking and stuff, and then you want to tell her the truth. You can do it, Alphys. I know you can.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” You smile at each other before continuing walking to the garbage dump. After a couple of minutes, you find your way there. Yoh both stop and turn to each other.

“Okay, let’s continue with the date.” You say. Alphys nods.

“S-so, Undyne... how are you doing today?”

“I’m fine.”

“Ha! Ha! Glad to hear it!!” She nervously says, pausing. “Uhhh, so, I’d like to, um, talk to you about something. 

“What is it, Alphys?” You cross yof arms.

“Umm, you see... I... I... I... I h-haven’t been exactly truthful w-w-with you... y... you see, I... I... oh, forget it!”

_What?_  

“Undyne!!! I... I want to tell you how I feel! Y-you’re so brave... a-and s-strong... a-and nice... y-you always listen t-to me when I talk about n-n-nerdy stuff... y-you always d-d-do your best to m-m-make me feel special... l-like t-telling me y-you’ll b-beat up a-anyone that g-gets in my way...”

“UNDYNE!!! I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANY LONGER!!!” She suddenly begins to yell loudly. 

“W-woah, Alphys, hey-“ 

“I’M MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU!!! HOLD ME, UNDYNE!!”

“A-Alphys-“

“HOLD ME!!!”

“WHAT did you just say?”

You gasp. You were just trying to calm Alphys down, you didn’t even notice Undyne on your left, walking up to the two of you. Her hair is different, with some of it loose and covering a little bit of the left side of her face. It’s still in a high ponytail, though. Also, she’s changed her clothes since the last time you saw her. She’s still wearing the same pants, but she’s wearing a solid white shirt and a leather jacket. Plus, she’s wearing a red bandana around her neck and a pair of Uggs, or, the equivalent of Uggs in the Underground. She must’ve borrowed this stuff from Sans and Papyrus. 

You and Alphys stand still. Alphys stares right Undyne, their eyes locked. Undyne’s eye is wide, you’ve never seen her so surprised. Alphys backs away from Undyne a little bit.

“U... Undyne! I... was... just...” She blushes.

“Hey, woah, wait a second! Your outfits really cute! What’s the occasion?” Undyne compliments Alphys. She then looks between you and Alphys, trying to figure out what’s going on.

“Wait a second.” Undyne says slowly. “Are you two... on a date?”

“UHHH, YES!” Alphys answers, making Undyne look pretty angry. 

_Wrong thing to say, Alphys._

“I mean, UHHH NO!” That makes Undyne look less angry, more surprised.

“I mean, actually, we were only romantically roleplaying as you!”

_Oof._

You internally facepalm. If you had no restraint, you would’ve done it physically just now.

“WHAT???” Undyne shouts.

“I MEAN!!! I mean... Undyne... I... I’ve been lying to you!”

_Not... the best approach, but it’s a start._

“WHAT??? ABOUT WHAT???” 

“About... well... everything!” She takes a step towards Undyne. “I told you that seaweed was, like, scientifically important... really, I just... I just use it to make ice cream!” She takes another step towards Undyne. “And those human history books I keep reading... those are just comic books!” Another step. “And the history movies... those... those are just, uh, anime! They aren’t real!” She stands right in front of Undyne. “And that I told you I was busy with work on the phone... I... was just eating frozen yogourt in my pyjamas! That time I-“

“Alphys.” Undyne interrupts her, her voice gentle.

“I... I just wanted to impress you! I just wanted you to think I was smart and cool. That I wasn’t some... nerdy loser.” 

“Alphys.” Undyne bends her knees a little bit, putting a hand on Alphys’ head and... you don’t fucking know, petting her softly?! You feel like you shouldn’t be here, it’s a pretty intimate moment for them!! 

“Undyne, I... I really think you’re neat, ok...”

“Alphys.” Undyne kneels on the ground and hugs Alphys, moving her hand from Alphys’ head to her upper back, still doing the petting motions.

“Shhhh. Shhhhhh.” Undyne sushes Alphys. Then she...

_Wait, what?_  

She picks up Alphys, throwing her perfectly into an empty trash can. The lid was halfway on the can, about to fall off, but it slide perfectly into place on top of it due to the jerk of Alphys being fucking thrown into it. 

_What the hell, Undyne?!_  

“Alphys! I... think you’re neat, too, I guess. But, you’ve gotta realise... most of what you said really doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care if you’re watching kid cartoons or reading history books. To me, ALL of that stuff is just NERDY CRAP! What I like about you is that you’re PASSIONATE! You’re ANALYTICAL!! It doesn’t matter what it is! YOU CARE ABOUT IT!! 100-PERCENT!! AT MAXIMUM POWER!!! So, you don’t have to lie to me. I don’t want you to have to lie to anyone anymore. Alphys... I want to help you become happy with who you are! And I know just the training you need to do that!” The top of the trash can raises a little, revealing only the top part of Alphys’ face. Her feet also come out of two holes on the bottom of the trash can.

“Undyne... you... y-you’re gonna train me?” 

“Pffft, what? ME?”

_Oh my god._

Just then, Papyrus walks out from behind a pile of garbage. He’s changed his shirt to the same one, but one that says “Jogboy” on it, in all capital letters. On his sleeves are two res hearts, and he’s wearing a red sweatband on his head.

“Nah, I’m gonna get Papyrus to do it.” Undyne says. 

“GET THOSE BONES SHAKIN’!!! IT’S TIME TO JOG 100 LAPS, HOOTING ABOUT HOW GREAT WE ARE!!!” Papyrus shouts enthusiastically. Undyne takes a stopwatch out of her pocket. 

“Ready? I’m about to start the timer!” She asks Alphys. 

“U-Undyne... I’ll do my best...!” After Alphys says that, her and Papyrus run off in the direction that you and Alphys came from.

“OH MY GOD!!!” You turn towards Undyne, surprised by her sudden outburst. 

“She was kidding, right!? Those cartoons... those comics... those are still REAL, right!? ANIME’S REAL, RIGHT?!?!”

_Oh god, how do I say this to her without her killing me._

“Uhhh, Undyne, I, um... don’t know how to break it to you, but... no. Anime isn’t real. I’m sorry.” You nervously tell her.

“No... NO!!!! I CAN FEEL MY HEART BREAKING INTO PIECES!!!” 

_UHHHHHHH._

She pauses, taking a deep breath.

“... no, I can survive this... I have to be strong. For Alphys. Thank you, human, for telling me the truth. I’ll try my best to live in this world... see you later!” She heads off in the direction that Papyrus and Alphys went in.

Wow, that was... definitely something. You’re glad Alphys told Undyne the truth. And you’re glad that Undyne told Alphys what she like about her. 

You hope they get to go in that date.

You walk away, heading back to the elevator in the Core, when only a minute later, you get a call. You stop walking and answer your phone.

“Hello?”

“HOWDY! IF IT ISN’T MY GOOD FRIEND, WHO TRUSTS ME!” Papyrus says. 

_That’s... a weird thing to say, but, I mean, it is true._

“THIS IS PAPYRUS! YOUR ALSO MUTUAL FRIEND!”

“Um, yeah, hey, Papyrus.” 

_Why is he talking like that?_

“ALPHYS AND I FINISHED OUR TRAINING EARLY. VERY EARLY. SO I SENT HER HOME. VERY HOME. UH... NOW. I FEEL STRONGLY AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON. YOU SHOULD ALSO GO... THERE. TO HER. LAB... HOUSE. I HAVE ONLY GOOD FEELINGS ABOUT THIS. GOODBYE.” He hangs up the phone before you can ask him what’s going on.

_That was weird. But... I have no reason to not listen to him._

After about twenty minutes, you make your way back to Alphys’ lab.  

_I have been to this place a lot today._  

You walk up to the door and knock on it.

No answer.

You knock harder.

Still no answer.

“Alphys?? Are you home??” You yell out whilst knocking.

No answer.

“Alphys?! It’s Molly! I just want to make sure you’re okay!!” You yell louder, not knocking this time. 

Nothing.

“Please op-“ You go to knock on the door again, when it slides open. Alphys isn’t behind it. 

_Maybe the door was sick of me yelling at it and hitting it so much._  

You walk inside the lab. 

“Alphys?!” Everything is just like how it was when you first visited this place. You take a quick look around the downstairs area before going upstairs. Alphys is nowhere to be seen. 

_Where could she be??_  

You check her Undernet profile. She hasn’t posted anything since about an hour or so before the fight between you and Mettaton. You know that she was all guilty about what happened, and then you had that whole date thing just happen, and she’s probably tired, but...

You’re kind of worried.

There’s only one place in the lab that you have yet to check: The bathroom. You don’t even feel like it’s worth checking, you’re sure she could have heard you yelling out her name if she were to be in the bathroom. But, it’s the only place you haven’t checked, so you might as well do it. 

_Hey, wait a second._

You go up to where the door is and look at piece of paper on the ground. You had noticed it before, but you thought it was blank. But, now that you really look at it, you can see that there’s writing in the other side. You pick it up, turning it around and reading it. It’s not written in a fancy way, like Toriel’s were. It’s written as if it were a paragraph in an essay. 

_Hey. Thanks for your help back there. You guys... your support really means a lot to me. But, as difficult as it is to say this, you guys alone can’t magically make my own problems go away. I want to be a better person. I don’t want to be afraid anymore. And for that to happen, I have to be able to face my own mistakes. I’m going to start doing that now. I want to be clear. This isn’t anyone else’s problem but mine. But if you don’t ever hear from me again, if you want to know “the truth.” Enter the door to the north of this note. You all at least deserve to know what I did. – Alphys_

_Alphys... what are you talking about?_  

You set the note down and walk up to the door, about to knock on it, but the same thing from before happens again: It slides open before you are able hit it. 

_Wait, what?_  

_This isn’t a bathroom._  

The door doesn’t lead to a bathroom, it leads to an elevator.

If it had been a bathroom, that would’ve been really weird, based off of that note. 

You walk into the elevator and stare at the buttons. They have numbers next to all of them, but there only seems to be one that’s working. You press it and watch the door close, feeling the elevator begin to move downwards. The single light above you shines brightly, reflecting on the yellow and orange-checkered ground. Next to it is a speaker, which is silent. 

_Where am I even go-_

“WARNING! WARNING!” A loud, female, robotic voice blasts through the speaker, interrupting your thoughts. The light flashes red. 

“ELEVATOR LOSING POWER!” The elevator shakes violently, moving faster than before. 

“W-what?!” You yell out.

“EM TETHER STABILITY LOST! ALTITUDE DROPPING!”

_Oh god, what the fuck is going on?!_  

The voice stops talking, and after a couple of seconds, the elevator roughly hits the ground. It causes you to be lifted up in the air for a second, thankfully not high enough to hit the ceiling. You slam onto the floor on your back. 

“Ugh, whyyyyy.” You groan, pushing yourself up off the ground. The door of the elevator opens. Standing up, you look at what’s on the other side of the door.

_What._

_The._

_Hell._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the eighteenth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time is Ain’t Love by blackbear. I hope you liked this chapter, and I’ll talk to you later! Byeeeeeee!!!


	19. You’ve Got The Formula To Make Everything Right Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You understand, now. And it’ll all be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAAAAAY SCHOOL’S OUT!!! For now, at least, but oof, it’s soooo nice to take a break. I’m super surprised I finished this chapter tonight, but I just wouldn’t let myself stop! Hope you like this chapter, and I’ll talk to you all soon!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_ENTRY NUMBER 1:_

_This is it... time to do what the King has asked me to do. I will create the power to free us all. I will unleash the power of the Soul._

_What’s_ that _supposed to mean?_

You stare at the green text on the electronic sign. It’s on the wall around the corner of the entrance to the elevator. 

Speaking of which, the place that the elevator had lead you to...

Not so cool.

It’s all... worn down. Dark and decrepit. The walls are a dark green/greyish colour, the paint deteriorating slowly up the walls. The ground is the same colour, and are tiles with cracks here and there. The wall also has some cracks in it.

It feels like you’re in a fucked up hospital.

The place is silent, except for the whirring of the generators that are keeping these dim lights and signs alive. You walk up to the next sign. They seem to be logs, but you don’t know who created them.

Your only guess is Alphys.

_ENTRY NUMBER 2:_

_The barrier is locked by Soul power. Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially. Soul power can only be derived from what was once living. So, to create more, we will have to use what we have now... the Souls of monsters._  

You go to the next sign.

_ENTRY NUMBER 3:_

_But extracting a Soul from a living monster would require incredible power... besides being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the Soul’s host. And, unlike the persistant Souls of humans, the Souls of most monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a monster’s soul last..._

You walk up to the last sign on this wall. 

_ENTRY NUMBER 5:_

_I’ve done it. Using the blueprints, I’ve extracted it from the human Souls. I believe this is what gives their Souls the strength to persist after death. The will to keep living... the resolve to change fate. Let’s call this power... “Determination.”_

_Determination? Is that supposed to be... a chemical? Like, instead of the adjective?_

_And where’s Entry Number 4?_

You take a left turn and come across an area with actual stuff in it. In front of you is a vending machine and a large pair of doors, including a sign next to it. There are also some plastic plants that somehow manage to look like they’re dead. Everything is so dark and dreary.

You feel so uncomfortable.

A couple steps to my right is a note. You go over to it and pick it up. Some of the words have been crossed out, and the hand-writing isn’t that great... it seems like it was written in a rush. The only things you can make out are: “... elevator... lost power... enter the center door...” 

You already know about the first part, if this person is talking about the elevator you rode in to get here. But you’re not sure about the door... perhaps they’re talking about the door in front of you, but you’re not completely sure. You set the note back down and read the sign. 

_POWER ROOM_

This place seems pretty important, but there are two paths to your right and left, so you decide to go down those first, starting with the one to your left. You’re back in a replica of the first hallway you were in, along with the logs. This time, though, there’s only one of them. You read it as you walk. 

_ENTRY NUMBER 6:_

_Asgore asked asked everyone outside the city for monsters that had “fallen down.” Their bodies came in today.  They’re still comatose.. and soon, they’ll all turn to dust. But what happens if I inject “determination” into them? If their Souls persist after they perish, then freedom might be closer than we all thought._

_So “determination” is a chemical-like substance! But... I still don’t understand, how will that help break the barrier?_  

_And that term, “fallen down”... I swear I’ve heard it before._

You go into the next room. There’s another sign, and three operating tables, but... it’s more like a seat, with a back and a head-rest, but it’s made of metal. There’s also three sinks, two large tables, and a door way. You first read the sign.

_ENTRY NUMBER 9:_

_things aren’t going well. none of the bodies have turned into dust, so I can’t get the Souls. i told the families that i would give them the dust back for the funerals. people are starting to ask me what’s happening. what do i do?_

You can feel the stress from the writing, and you also wonder what happened to the last two entries.

_Oh, wait!_  

You suddenly remember where you have heard the term “fallen down” before. It was in a book that you read in the library in Snowdin. It’s...

A term that is used to describe the state of a monster that’s about to die of age. Because they will lie on the ground, immobile.

The thought of a monster dying makes you feel horrible. 

You swear you’ve heard “fallen down” used somewhere else, too... you’rs sure it’ll come to you. 

You walk past the seat-like operating tables and go into the room that the doorway leads to. There’s nothing in it except for a key hole that has some metal attachments and a note on the ground. You pick it up, and notice how it’s just like the one in the previous room, where it’s mostly illegible. You can only make out two things: “...drain... dropped it...”

_Could it be referring to those sinks? And maybe they dropped a key???_

You leave the note on the ground and walk out of the room, heading towards the sinks. Yoh turn the first one on, not knowing what to expect to come out. 

Only water falls from the drain.

You turn it off and turn on the next sink. Once again, there’s only water. You go over to the last sink.

_What..._  

A white liquid slowly pours out of the faucet. You take a step back from the sink. The white liquid is thick, filling up the entire sink before rising up two feet. Two distorted faces can be seen at the top of it. 

You’re so scared, you actually whimper.

It separates and becomes three separate, dark red substances, sliding onto the floor in front of me. There are still two distorted faces in each of them. Your soul appears in front of you.

“St-stay back!!” You yell at them, taking another step backwards. One of them moves in an instant, grabbing onto your foot. Almost...

Absorbing it. 

Your eyes widen.

 

 

_“No! I’m not leaving you!” You yell at him with more stubbornness than you have ever possessed before._

_“Dammit, Molly, c’mon, please, you have to go. We’ll only be apart for a couple minutes, I’ll meet you out there!” He tries to negotiate with you._

_“No! Please, don’t do this to me!” You hug him, on the verge of crying._

_“Molly... please. Do this for me.” You look up at him. He looks so... desperate._

_“I... okay. I love yo-“_

_There’s blood on your hands. Except it’s dust. And there’s oh so much of it._

_In fact, it’s all over your clothes._

_A-_

_This time, there_ is _blood on your hands._

_You look down at them, empty and shaking._

_All you see is gold. And blue. And red._

_You feel like you’re going insane._

_You sc-_

 

 

You gasp, being brought back to reality. 

“ _Get the fuck off me!_ ” You practically scream at the top of your lungs, kicking at the thing on your foot. It comes off, but, unfortunately, your motions were so abrupt and hard, you lose your balance and fall backwards. The latch on your backpack catches on the table behind you, popping open. You fall to an angle, to your left, so you still hit the ground. 

_Fuck, this goddamn thing can handle so many falls, but when it comes to tables, it just has to break!_

You quickly sit up and turn around, taking off your backpack and going to pick up you stuff as quickly as possible. Thankfully, only your headphones and your phone (technically, Toriel’s phone, but I’ve gotten so used to it, it feels like mine), which I put in my backpack before leaving the elevator, fell out.

But, you stop. And this is because of the noises coming out of your phone. Or, more specifically, the voices. 

“Come join the fun.” A chorus of three voices say. 

A shiver runs down your spine.

“I-is this y... you?!” You ask the weird substances. They don’t answer, which makes sense, since it doesn’t seem like they can speak. But you hear weird whispers through the phone.

“I-if that’s y-you three, th-then no! Go away!!” The creatures seem to take the hint. They slide backwards, and back into the drain. Your soul disappears.

_What the fuck just happened?!_

You quickly grab your phone and your headphones, shoving it back in your backpack. Thankfully, the latch didn’t break, it just opened. You’re so terrified by what just happened, you quickly get up, only stopping to check the drain that the things retreated in.

You’re in such a rush, you don’t notice how you’ve dropped your book, the one you’ve been keeping notes in. It went under the table, so that’s also why you didn’t even notice it. 

There’s a red key in the sink. Looks like the letter was talking about this sink. You grab the key, extremely grateful that it’s clean, and go over to the keyhole in the small room. You put the key in it. It fits, but it doesn’t really seem to do anything. 

It probably has a connection to something important. 

You hastily leave the room, going back to where that door was. But, before you get a glimpse of the door, you stop walking and lean against the wall.

_Did those things... make me remember stuff? Stuff that I don’t want to remember?_

_No, it couldn’t have. Because I remember the first part..._

_But I have no idea what those second parts were._  

You decide to stop focusing on that, relieved that it’s over. You keep on walking and look at the door. 

_Ohhhh, I see what’s going on._

There are four lights on the door. Before, they just looked like weird decorations, so you didn’t pay any attention to them, but one of the lights have now turned on. A red one.

It obviously has a connection to that thing you just unlocked.

You guess you have to find three more keys to unlock this door.

You go down the other hallway. There are two more signs that you read. 

_ENTRY NUMBER 12:_

_nothing is happening. i don’t know what to do. i’ll just keep injecting everything with “determination.” i want this to work._

Skipping entries _again_ , you see.

The text worries you for what may come up on the next entries. It sounds like everything Alphys— if this is even Alphys— is doing is going horribly wrong. 

You read the next sign.

_ENTRY NUMBER 13:_

_one of the bodies opened its eyes._

That’s it. 

_But... how...? If they were supposed to be dead..._

_What the hell is this “determination?!”_  

You walk into a large room. There are nine, twin-sized beds. Each one is the same. There’s also an empty dog food bowl in the corner, and a sign on the wall next to a doorway. You go up to it and read it.

_ENTRY NUMBER 14:_

_Everyone that had fallen down... has woken up. They’re all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong. I thought they were goners...?_

You turn back towards the beds.

_Time to go look for a key._

You go up to each bed, pulling the pink sheets down, looking for a key. On the sixth bed, you finally find one, a yellow one. You take off your backpack and put the yellow key on the key ring on your phone, putting your bag back on. Then, you go through the doorway next to the sign. There is a hallway in the room, but you’ll come back to it. To your left now is a sign and a hallway, but the right side looks like a dead end, so you head down there first. There’s another sign that you read. 

_ENTRY NUMBER 11:_

_now that mettaton’s made it big, he never talks to me anymore... except to ask when i’m going to finish his body. but i’m afraid if i finish his body, he won’t need me anymore... then we’ll never be friends ever again... not to mention, every time i try to work on it, i just get really sweaty..._

_So this_ is _Alphys’ work..._  

You feel bad for her. You would be the same way if you were her, not wanting Mettaton to leave you just cause you did all that he asked you to do. 

Oh, and these entries are all over the place, apparently, in different orders. 

You look away from the sign, looking above you. There are little, white specks floating around in the air.

_What the..._

You walk to the end of the hall, past a wall of fans. There’s a switch on the wall, which you press. All the fans come on, and the pieces in the air all come together to form... 

_Oh god._

Another one of those creatures. But this one is different, it’s gigantic. It’s white, and has a large, black mass under it. Just like the last ones, it looks like it’s melting. It has a head with a big hole in it.

It looks like a dog.

It bounds towards you, causing you to back up all the way against the wall as your soul comes out.

“H-hey, stop!” You push against the wall, but the creature still comes towards you. It gets right in front of you, and you’re terrified of what it might do next, and then it just...

Sits.

It pants heavily, a strange liquid seeping out of its orifice. 

“W-what...?”

_Wait. In Snowdin, when I fought dog monsters, they usually wanted me to pet them, and then the fight would end..._  

“Do you w-want me to pet you? I-is that it?” You ask it. Its small tail lightly hits the ground.

“Okay, I-I’ll take that as a y-yes.” You take a step towards it, reaching your hand out. You put it on it on its neck (well, the part under the hole) and pet it. The white liquid on the dog creature sticks grossly onto my hand. It begins to wildly convulse, its tail hitting the ground harshly.

“H-hey, calm down, i-it’s okay!”

_I know that the dogs start freaking out whenever I pet them, but... jeez._

It suddenly stops shaking as you continue to pet it. If you didn’t know any better, you’d say it’s... content. It gets up and runs away as your soul also goes away. You wipe your hand on the wall, getting rid of the strange liquid.

_Are these creatures monsters? If so, what the hell happened to them?!_

You turn off the fans before walking away. You go up to the sign that you had walked by before.

_ENTRY NUMBER 15:_

_Seems like this research was a dead end... but at least we got a happy ending out of it...? I sent the Souls back to Asgore, returned the vessel to his garden, and I called all of the families and told them everyone’s alive. I’ll send everyone back tomorrow. :)_

It sounds like everything’s going pretty well. You go up to the next sign.

_ENTRY NUMBER 16:_

_no No NO NO NO NO NO_

_Oh, god, Alphys..._

_What happened?_

You walk away from the sign with a feeling of unease, taking a right into a hallway. At the end of it is a shower curtain.

There’s a moving shadow behind it.

_I bet there’s a fucking key in that shower._  

You slowly walk up to it, the shadow’s swaying growing faster and faster. Once you’re close enough to the pink curtain, you quickly pull on it, revealing... 

Nothing.

Just a shower and a bathtub. And in the bathtub is a green key.

_I fucking knew it._

You put the green key on the key ring and leave the room, taking a right.

_What is this?!_  

In the center of the room you just walked in is a large machine. It looks like the head of some sort of animal. There are pipes connected to it. 

You’ll leave that alone for now.

You see a room to your right and go into it. In front of you is a TV, an old one, with a VCR under it. There are two bookcases filled with multiple books and tapes. There are also five on the table that the TV is on. There’s a sign on the wall, and a yellow keyhole. you put the yellow key in it, and it fits. After that, you go up to the sign on the wall and read it.

_ENTRY NUMBER 4:_

_I’ve been researching humans to see if I can find any info about their Souls. I ended up snooping around the castle... and found these weird tapes. I don’t feel like Asgore’s watched them... I don’t think he should._

You turn towards the VCR tapes on the table. 

_What’s on them? Is Asgore on them? Is that why Alphys doesn’t think he should watch them?_

Only one way to find out.

You go over to the tapes. They’re numbered in a specific order, so you put the one that has a “1” on it in first. At first, you don’t think you’ve done it right, cause there’s noting on the screen, just darkness. But then, you hear something. 

_“Psssst. Gorey, wake up.”_

You gasp.

_Is that...?_

_“Mmm? What is it, dear?”_ A deep voice asks, pausing. “ _... err, and why do you have that video camera?”_  

_“Shush! I want to get your reaction.”_

_It must be..._

_Toriel._

_“Gorey, dearest. What is my favourite vegetable?”_

_“Hmmm... carrots, right?”_

_“No no no! My favourite vegetable is... eda-_ mom _-e.”_  

If you weren’t so surprised, you would’ve laughed.

_“... get it????”_ Toriel asks the man.

_“... go back to bed, dear.”_

_“No no!! Not yet!! Hee hee hee. Now, if I were a dog, what breed of dog would I be?”_

_“Hmmm... I don’t know, honey. What kind of dog would you be?”_

_“I would be... a_ momeranian _.”_  

_“Hohoho! You sure are excited to have this child. You know, if you keep making jokes like this... one day, you could be... a famous_ mom _edian.”_

_“... well, I am going to bed.”_

_“Hey! Come on, Tori! That one was funny!”_

_“Hahaha, I know. I am just teasing you. Goodnight, dear.”_

_“Goodnight, honey.”_

_“Oh dear, perhaps it is too dark in here to have the video come out...”_

The video stops.

_Toriel... she was... the queen. “Gorey” is Asgore, and this was when they were about to have Asriel._

_Oh my god. Asriel is a mashup of the names “Toriel” and “Asgore.” How did I not realise this sooner?!_

You take out that tape and put in the next one. Once again, there’s no actual footage, just sound.

_“Okay, Chara, are you ready?”_ A young boy says. _“Do your creepy face!”_ He pauses. _“AHHHHH!! Hee hee hee. Oh! Wait! I had the lens cap on...”_

“I’m not doing that again, Asriel.” Another child says.

_Asriel?!_

_“What?! Come on, quit tricking me! Haha!”_

That’s the end.

This is way after the first tape. Asriel sounds like he’s ten or eleven, twelve at the most. The other child sounds about the same age, but you’ve never heard their name before.

_Chara..._  

You get the next tape. There’s still no footage.

_“Howdy, Chara!”_ Asriel says. _“Smile for the camera! Ha, this time I got YOU! I left the cap on... ON PURPOSE! Now you’re smiling for noooo reason! Hee hee hee!”_

_“Hey, do you remember that time we made that thing for Dad?”_ Chara asks.

_“What? Oh, yeah, I remember. When we tried to make butterscotch pie for Dad, right?”_

_“Yeah, that. Well, remember what happened?”_

_“The recipe called for cups of butter... but we accidentally put in buttercups instead.”_

_“Those buttercups were poison.”_

_“Yeah! Those flowers got him really sick. I felt so bad. We made Mom really upset. I should have laughed it off, like you did... um, anyway, where are you going with this?”_

_“Well, first turn off the camera.”_

_“Huh? Ok.”_

That’s it. 

_What was that about? They accidentally poisoned Asgore? Why did that child, Chara, start talking about it?_

_And... why do they talk like that? Calling Asgore: “Dad.” I thought Asriel was an only child. Well, except for..._

_Oh my god. The first human. That’s who Chara is._

_Oh god._  

You put in the next tape. There’s only sound.

_“I... I don’t like this idea, Chara.”_ Asriel quietly says. 

_“Are you crying?”_ Chara asks meanly.

_“Wh... what? N-no, I’m not... big kids don’t cry.”_

_“Whatever. Just stop worrying, okay? This will work.”_

_“Yeah, you’re right.”_

_“Asriel, come on, are you doubting me?!”_

_“No! I’d never doubt you, Chara... never!”_

_“Then listen to me. We can and will do this, right?”_

_“Y... yeah! We’ll be strong! We’ll free everyone. I’ll go get the flowers.”_

That’s the end of it.

_What are these kids doing...? Does this have to do with their deaths?_

_And why does Chara sound so... hateful._

You put in the last tape. There’s still only sound.

_“Chara...”_ Toriel says. _“Can you hear me? We want you to wake up...”_

_“Chara!”_ Asgore says. “ _You have to stay determined! You can’t give up... you are the future of humans and monsters...”_ It’s silent for a moment.

_“Psst... Chara...”_ Asriel whispers. _“Please... wake up... I don’t like this plan anymore. I... I... no, I said... I said I’d never doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six... and we’ll do it together, right?”_  

That’s it. 

You take out the tape and set it on the table. 

_Chara didn’t get sick on accident... they made themselves sick, on purpose. So that Asriel could take their soul and kill six humans, destroying the barrier with all that soul power..._

_I don’t fucking understand, didn’t Chara know that they wouldn’t come back?! Didn’t Asriel stop to think that maybe he just can’t bring himself to kill someone?!_

You gasp.

_How ironic._ I’ve _already thought out my plan... I’ve thought out everything..._

_I won’t be hurting anyone, like Chara and Asriel did to Asgore and Toriel. I’ll be helping them._

_This is different, right?_  

Even you can’t tell.

You leave the room, and walk in front of the machine, noticing something on the ground.

_Is that another key?_

You go to pick it up, but it suddenly morphs into another creature. Your soul comes out as you stare at the creature. 

This time, is not as distorted as the rest of them. You can clearly tell which monsters make up this one, though the monsters are still clearly melting and different than their usual forms.

It has the body of an Aaron, the head of the Moldsmal, and... you think there’s also a Shyren in there. 

_Oh my god._

_That’s where I’ve also heard the term “fallen down” before. In Mettaton’s journal. He had said that Shyren’s sister had “fell down,” but... I hadn’t paid any attention to it._

_Not until now._  

I hum, seeing how that helped defeat Shyren last time.

“Welcome to my special hell.” A couple of voices say in unison. A mix of the monsters attacks head towards you. You dodge all of them and flex, knowing that’s what Aaron liked doing. Even though it’s not very visible through your sweatshirt that you’re flexing, it seems to have an affect on the creature.

“But nobody came.” You dodge their attacks again and unhug them, A.K.A just standing there, for Moldsmal.

“I’ve felt this before.” You dodge their attacks, and before you can do anything else, they run away. Your soul disappears.

_Why are these monsters like this?!_  

You walk up to a sign next to the machine and read it.

_DT EXTRACTION MACHINE_

_STATUS: INACTIVE_

_Whaaaaaaaat?_

You turn towards the machine.

_DT... is that determination? Alphys extracted determination from human souls?_

_That sounds hella painful._

_Jesus Christ._  

You walk into the next room. There are a bunch of fridges, and signs on the wall. You walk up to the first sign.

_ENTRY NUMBER 19:_

_the families keep calling me to ask when everyone is coming home. what am i supposed to say? i don’t even answer the phone anymore._  

_Oh, Alphys..._

You open the first fridge, looking for a possible key. It’s empty. You go up to the next fridge. It seems to contain samples of some kind. You read the next sign.

_ENTRY NUMBER 20:_

_Asgore left me five messages today. four about everyone being angry one about this cute teacup that looks like me thanks asgore._  

You open the next fridge. It’s empty, too. You walk up to the next sign. 

_ENTRY NUMBER 21:_

_i spend all my time at the garbage dump now it’s my element_

Yiu sigh and open the next fridge. This one also contains samples. There’s only one fridge left. It’s empty. You’rs about to walk through a doorway when you hear something. You turn around to see the last fridge turn into one of the... creatures... 

_Oh..._

It’s not really a creature. It’s only one monster that’s melting. It’s a Snowdrake. You notice how _weak_ she looks as your soul comes out.

_The Snowdrake in Snowdin liked bad jokes, so I’ll tell her a pun or something._

“Uhhh, h-hey, y-you look r-really _cool_ today!” You tell her. Her expression changes a little bit.

“Haha... I... remem... ber...” She attacks you, but... it’s barely even an attack. It’s just small pieces of snow, and they don’t even move towards you.

You feel so fucking bad.

“W-we can stop f-fighting, _snow_ p-problem!” Her expression changes even more. She looks happy.

“Haha... thank... you...” She does the same attack again and walks away. Your soul goes away.

_I’m sorry._

You notice something on the ground where the Snowdrake was: A blue key. You pick it up and walk away, going through the doorway and into a small room. It’s like the one before, with the keyhole and the note, except this one is green. The green key fits perfectly in the slot. You pick up the note, and can only make out one thing: “...curtain...” You assume that it’s talking about the shower curtain, where you found that key.

_Now I need to find the last keyhole._

_But where have I not been...?_

_Oh yeah! That hallway in the room with the beds! I never went down it!_  

You leave the room and make your way back to the bedroom, going down the hallway. To your left are some mirrors and signs, and to your right are golden flowers on a table. They’re all potted. You read the first sign.

_ENTRY NUMBER 7:_

_We’ll need a vessel to wield the monster Souls when the time comes. After all, a monster cannot absorb the Souls of other monsters. Just as a human cannot absorb a human Soul... so then... what about something that’s neither human nor monster?_

_Something that’s neither human nor monster? But what would that leave..._  

You look at the flowers.

_No... she wouldn’t have... would she?_

You read the next sign.

_ENTRY NUMBER 10:_

_experiments on the vessel are a failure. it doesn’t seem to be any different from the control cases. whatever. they’re a handle to work with anyway. the seeds just stick to you, and won’t let go..._

You walk away. You’re walking past a long row of mirrors on the wall when you suddenly hear something. You turn to your left and stare at your reflection. 

_What...?_

It mutates, stepping off of the mirror and forming into one of the creatures. You take a step back as your soul comes out. This creature is kind of like the one with Shyren’s sister, where it’s sort of clear what kind of monsters make it up. It has the head of an Astigmatism, a long, stretched-out body of a Whimsalot, and it has some parts of a Final Froggit. You do the same thing you did before, where you do things that the monsters like after every mashed up attack. After a couple minutes, it runs away. 

_How many more of these poor things are there?_  

You walk to the end of the hallway, taking a left into another room with a keyhole. The blue key fits in it. There’s also a note on the ground. You can only make out one word: “... cold...” 

_I have no idea what this is talking about._

You leave the room and head towards the first door, hoping that it’ll be open now.

_Yes!_  

All the lights are turned on, and as you push on the right door, it opens. You walk into another elevator, but it seems to have also lost power. 

_Oh, that note must’ve been talking about_ this _elevator!_

There’s a doorway on the left of the elevator that you go through. There are two signs on the wall, but they’re turned off. You walk to the end of the hallway and take right through a doorway. At the end of the room is a machine that seems like a power generator. You walk up to it.

_Time to turn the power back on._

After pressing a few buttons in a certain order, the power turns on, or, at least, you think it does. You hear a couple generators turn on, so you turn around, about to go see if the power did turn on, but you don’t do anything.

_Oh fuck._

Every monster you’ve encountered in here except for the very first ones slowly move towards you. You take a step back, bumping into the control panel. 

“H-hey, guys, w-we’re friends, right?” You ask them. They don’t respond, only walking towards you. 

“Uh, I-I... I’m sorry, okay?! Is that w-what you guys wanna hear?! I’m sorry th-that this happened to you! P-please...” They don't stop, getting even closer to you. Right when you think they’re about to attack you, a voice interrupts.

“Hey! Stop!!!” The monsters part, moving away from you and allowing you to see Alphys walk up. 

“I got you guys some food, okay!?” The monsters seem to like this. They go away, walking past Alphys. You take a deep breath.

“Sorry about that...” Alphys apologises, embarrassed. “They get kind of sassy when they don’t get fed on time. I think they smelled the Glamburger you have, and...”

_Oh yeah, I forgot that I have that Glamburger!_

_Wait, how does she know... oh, right, she watches me and stuff. It’s okay, I’m cool with it by now._

“It’s okay, just... thanks for saving me.” You tell her.

“You’re welcome... anyway! The power went out, and I’ve been trying to turn it back on! But it seems like you were one step ahead of me. This was probably just a big inconvenience for you... b-but I appreciate that you came here to back me up! As I said, I was afraid i might... not come back... but that’s not because of these guys or anything! I was just worried I would be too afraid... to tell the truth... that I might run away, or do something... cowardly.” She pauses.

“Alphys, I, um... I read your entries.” You scratch the back of your neck. Yoh feel like you invaded her privacy.

“Uh... I... I suppose I owe you an explanation. As you probably know, Asgore asked me to study the nature of Souls. During my research, I isolated a power I called ‘determination.’ I injected it into dying monsters so their Souls would last after death. But the experiment failed. You see, unlike humans’, monsters’ bodies don’t have enough... physical matter to take those concentrations of ‘determination.’ Their bodies started to melt, and lost what physicality they had. Pretty soon, all of the test subjects had melted together into... those. Seeing them like this, I knew... I couldn’t tell their families about it. I couldn’t tell anyone about it. No matter how much everyone was asking me. And I was too afraid to do anymore work, knowing... everything I’d done so far has been such a horrific failure.”

_Alphys..._

“... but now. Now, I’ve changed my mind about all this. I’m going to tell everyone what I’ve done... it’s going to be hard. Being honest... believing in myself... I’m sure there will be times where I’ll struggle. I’m sure there will be times where I screw up again. But knowing, deep down, that I have friends to fall back on... I know it’ll be a lot easier to stand on my own.”

“Alphys... you are such a wonderful person. I understand now, why you said that you hurt people... but those monsters, their families... they’ll be _so_ happy to see each other again. Especially since they were about to... you know. Alphys, you’re brave to do this. I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you.” She says. We smile at each other. The monsters come back and stand next to Alphys.

“Come on, guys.” She says to them. “It’s time for everyone to go home.” She leaves the room, the monsters following her. 

_I’m glad everything worked out for her._

You sigh and leave the room, seeing that the power is back on, for the signs on the walls have turned on again. You read the first one.

_ENTRY NUMBER 8:_

_I’ve chosen a candidate. I haven’t told Asgore yet, because I want to surprise him with it... in the center of his garden, there’s something special. The first golden flower, that grew before all the others. The flower from the outside world. It appeared just before the queen left. I wonder... what happens when something without a Soul gains the will to live?_

_What? A flower from the “outside world?” As in, the surface? It must have been, if it appeared just before Toriel left, which is when Asriel and Chara... died._

You read the next sign, curious about where this is going. 

_ENTRY NUMBER 18:_

_the flower’s gone._

You read the text again.

_How can a flower leave...? If this flower that she’s talking about is the one that she gave the will to live, which possibly means that she injected “determination” into it, then would this flower be alive..._  

_No._

_No, it can’t..._

_It has to be._

_A flower. That’s alive._

_Flowey. Alphys made Flowey._

_Oh my god._

_Why didn’t she tell me?! Why didn’t she tell anyone?! Why..._

_That’s exactly why she didn’t say anything to anyone. This isn’t her fault. It’s not like she knew Flowey would turn out to be so horrible._

_Goddamn..._

You walk away from the sign and step into the elevator, which has now been powered on. You’re about to press the only working button, when your phone begins to ring. You take it out of your backpack and answer it.

“Hello?”

“Chara... are you there?” A voice you’ve never heard before says.

You freeze.

_Chara...?_

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it...?”

You say nothing.

“But you’ve done well. Thanks to you, everything has fallen into place. Chara... see you soon.” The person hangs up.

_What the fuck?!_

You put away the phone and press the button. The two doors close as the elevator begins to slowly move upwards.

 

_I don’t know what’s about to happen, but..._

_I have a very bad feeling about it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the nineteenth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time wasn’t The Formula by Russ. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!! 
> 
> Btw, I wanna quickly explain something. In the last chapter, when Molly was giving Alphys that pep talk before they practiced the date, and Molly put her hands in her pockets, it’s cause she so badly wanted to reach out and comfort Alphys. But, she didn’t know if Alphys would be comfortable with that or not, so she stopped herself. 
> 
> Okay, that’s all, thank you, talk to you soon, byeeeee!
> 
> P.S. They’re called Memoryheads for a reason...


	20. Don’t Get It Twisted, I’m Doing Everything I Can To Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of things are revealed before the reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it, but this is one of the last chapters! We’re getting super close to the end!!! I’m so sad and excited!! Thank you for over 300 hits (we’re almost at 350 already)!!! I’m so thankful for everyone and I hope you like this chapter! Talk to you later!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

The first thing you notice when you step out of the elevator is that it feels like everything has been drained of colour. The brick walls that surround you are all grey, along with the ground.   

 _I’m so nervous._  

You take a couple turns before the walls stop. To your left and right are views of The Capital, you assume. There are so many buildings, some white and gray, some coloured, and there are so many monsters. And those are the only ones you can see. Imagine all the other monsters in the buildings, or just out of your sight.

It helps remind you that you’re doing the right thing.

After a couple of minutes, you go through a doorway, and the walls come back. In front of you is a pile of grey leaves (everything is gray and white) and the entrance to a house.

A house that is exactly the same as Toriel’s. 

At least, the exterior looks the same. But, when you walk in, you realise that it is the exact same house. Everything is the same, except for a few golden flowers and a chain that’s blocking the downstairs. And everything being gray and white, of course. 

You guess it makes sense, why it’s the same house. Toriel and Asgore did used to live here together, after all.

Which is still so crazy to you. Toriel, the ex-queen, the estranged wife of Asgore. You wonder why she didn’t say anything.

You walk up to the chain, which has two padlocks and a note on it. You read it.

_Howdy! I’m in the garden. If you have anything you need to get off your chest, please don’t hesitate to come. The keys are in the kitchen and the hallway._

_I guess Asgore left this note..._

It seems pointless to go get the keys, the chain is low enough that you can simply step over it.

But, something about that feels wrong.

You go to the kitchen, remembering exactly where it is. Just like the note said, a key is on the counter. You grab it and take your phone out, putting the key on the key-chain. Then, you put your phone in my pocket, so that you don’t have to keep on getting it from your backpack.

Speaking of things in your backpack, when the elevator stopped, you ate the Glamburger. It wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t that bad either. You weren’t really hungry, since you could still taste bile in your mouth from a couple hours ago, but you knew you had to eat something. 

Anyway, you leave the kitchen, not bothering to look around it a bit more. You’re concentrating on getting the keys. 

And it’s difficult to be in here. It makes you think of Toriel’s house, and then Toriel, and how much you miss her...

_Does she miss me? She probably doesn’t._

_She shouldn’t._

You go to the hallway and grab the other key from a small table. You take the other key off your key-chain and hold both of the keys in one hand. You then go over to the chain, unlocking both padlocks. The chain falls to one side. You walk by it and go downstairs.

_Even this hallway is the same._

After a couple minutes, you’re back in an area with no walls. At the end of the path is an elevator, and to your right is a doorway. You go into the elevator first, but it only leads you back to where the elevator from the Core opened. So, you go back and walk through the doorway. 

 _Oh wow._  

This corridor is gold. There are dark gold columns on your left and right, and on the walls are large windows. Each one has the Delta Rune on it.

Something about this corridor is extremely unsettling to you.

After a couple of steps, you stop, noticing someone ahead of you.

_Sans._

You don’t say anything, too shocked by his presence. Loud bells ring outside.

_What’s about to happen??_

“so you finally made it. the end of your journey is at hand. in a few moments, you will meet the king. together, you will determine the future of this world.”

_Way to put pressure on me._

“that’s then. now. you will be judged.”

_What._

“you will be judged for your every action. you will be judged for every exp you have earned. what’s exp? it’s an acronym. it stands for ‘execution points.’”

_Damn. Well, I never gained any EXP._

“a way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others. when you kill someone, your exp increases. when you have enough exp, your love increases. love, too, is an acronym. it stands for ‘level of violence.’”

_Once again, I never increased my LOVE. It’s still at 1._

“a way of measuring someone’s capacity to hurt. the more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. the more you distance yourself, the less it will hurt. the more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others.” He pauses. “... but you. you never gained any love. ‘course, that doesn’t mean you’re completely innocent or naïve. just that you kept a certain tenderness in your heart. no matter the struggles or hardships you faced, you strived to do the right thing. you refused to hurt anyone. even when you ran away, you did it with a smile.”

_Ha ha, oh my god, is that a joke? Cause... nope, definitely not when I was running away from Undyne._

“you never gained love, but you gained love. does that make sense?”

You nod.

“... now. you’re about to face the greatest challenge of your entire journey. your actions here will determine the fate of the entire world. if you refuse to fight, asgore will take your soul and destroy humanity. but if you kill asgore and go home, monsters will remain trapped underground. what will you do?”

You remain silent.

“well, if i were, i would’ve thrown in the towel by now. but you didn’t get this far by giving up, did you? that’s right. you have something called ‘determination.’ so as long as you hold on... so as long as you do what’s in your heart... i believe you can do the right thing. alright. we’re all counting on you, kid. good luck.”

“Thank you, Sans. It was nice to meet you and Papyrus. It was... fun. Goodbye.” You smile at him and slowly walk, going past him. You’re about to turn left and go through a doorway when Sans says something else.

“wait.” You stop. “i... i gotta know, kid. what did you mean by ‘it’ll all be over soon?’” You stand still for a second, wondering what he’s talking about.

But then it comes back to you.

_You are about to leave this room when you hear another echo flower, one that isn’t on the path but on the dirt right next to it, say something different than you’ve ever heard any of them say before._

_“What is your wish, miss?”_

_You stop walking and turn towards the echo flower._

_“What?” You question aloud. This is different._

_“I said: What is your wish, miss?”_

Oh.

_You walk onto the dirt, right in front of the echo flower._

_“Are you, um, talking to me?” You quietly say._

_“Yes, miss.”_

What???

_“Oh. I-I didn’t know that echo flowers could, uh... talk.”_

_“Of course we can talk, miss. We repeat all that we hear. But it is rare for one of us to speak on our own volition.”_

_“Oh.” You repeat._

_“So, you want to know my wish?” I ask it._

_“That is correct, miss.”_

_“But... why?” It confuses you why this little flower would want to know what you wish for._

_“My purpose is to know the wish of everyone.”_

_“Um, okay. I guess I wish, uh... to leave and get back above ground.” You say whilst shrugging. You’re not sure what you’re supposed to say._

_“No, miss.”_

_“What?”_

_“I would like to know your deepest wish, the one your heart desires.”_

Is this thing serious?

_You look at it blankly, thinking about what it just said._

_“Okay. I... I wish... I wish to not be alone. To have a family. A real family, not like... um, nevermind. A family that cares for me and loves me and accepts me for who I am. I wish to have him back, even though I know that will never happen. Not ever. And I’ve accepted that... I think. But it’s hard to when I haven’t found anyone else who cares for me. God, I wish to be happy! I have loved being down here, no matter the fights, the threats, the reminders... people listen to me down here, people care. At least, I hope they do... I wish to have that. But... I know I won’t. My wish will never come true. And... that’s okay. Because I’ve made up my mind. Because it’ll all be over soon.” By the time you stop talking, you hear the echo flower begin to freaking cry._

_“Hey, wait, no, please don’t cry...”_

Your breathing stops.

_How... how does he know about that?_

_He must have walked by, he must have heard me, he-_

_The echo flower._

_It must have repeated it. And then Sans walked by and heard it._

_But how does he know that was_ my _wish?!_

“... no offence Sans, but that’s none of your business.” You’re not having your plan get ruined now, you’re not going to allow something, or _someone_ , get in the way.

You take a step, but stop when a boney hand tightly grabs your wrist. 

“yes, it is. please, kid. pal. talk to me.”

“Let go, Sans.”

“nope. i can’t do that.”

You try to pull your wrist out of his grasp. You don’t even move his hand, it’s too steady. And you’re too weak.

“Please, I don’t... just stop.”

“not until you tell me. look, i wouldn’t be asking you if i didn’t think it wasn’t important.”

“Well, it’s not, and neither am I, so stop.”

“and what’s that supposed to mean?” 

You turn around and face him.

“ _Stop_. _Caring_. You don’t have to, and you shouldn’t.” Annoyance bleeds through your voice.

“well, that’s a problem, then, cause i do.”

“Why?! Why do you care?! Why do you have to know?!” You’re almost yelling. His eye sockets widen a bit at your voice, and his smile looks strained, but he doesn’t let go, nor does he stop pushing you to tell him the truth.

“because, i’m worried about you. i don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret.” 

“Well then, there are no problems, because I’m not going to regret anything.”

“you know what i mean. please, buddy... what’s going on?” 

“...” You look away from him.

 _Stop._  

“kid.”

_Please._

“molly.” 

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” I whisper out.

“what?” 

“I... I don’t want to do this anymore! I don’t want to be here anymore! I don’t care! I don’t...” You feel tears prick your eyes.

_Don’t cry, come on..._

“I just don’t want to live anymore.”

 _Too late._  

Tears begin to run down your face. Sans let’s go of your wrist, and you just sit down on the ground.

“I-I... I’m n-not going to fight Asgore. I’m g-giving him my soul. Th-then you’ll all be free. I-isn’t that w-what you want? To be free?” You cross your legs (as in criss-cross applesauce style, bitches) and take out your hair, staring at the black hair tie.

“A-aren’t I doing the r-right thing?” You put you head in your hands. Suddenly, you feel Sans sit next to you and put an arm around you, pulling you into a hug. Your eyes widen a bit. 

“jeez, kid. how... how long have you felt this way?”

“F-for a while. But I n-never gave up. B-but now, now, I’m g-giving myself up for the b-best reason. I’m h-helping so many people who d-deserve it.” I pause. “... but if I’m h-helping so many people, then why do I feel so scared?” 

Because you do. You’re so scared to die. 

“‘cause you’re not doing the right thing and you know it. kid, i don’t know what you think, but we all care about you. me, papyrus, undyne, alphys. i don’t want you to go and... sacrifice yourself. i know you don’t like fighting and all, but don’t give up. not like this.” You take your head out of your hands and stare at him, wiping your face. 

_I don’t... I had hoped, but I didn’t think they, anyone would ever care about me._

_It’s so scary. Because I care about them, too. So fucking much._

_And the last time that happened..._

_Nothing good came out of it._

“Then what am I supposed to do?” You bitterly laugh out, beginning to stop crying. 

“i don’t really know.” He shrugs. “try and talk to him, or something. you may even convince him that you guys don’t have to fight.” 

“But can I really stay here? Live the rest of my life in the Underground?” 

“again, i don’t know. you do have everything you need down here. it’s your choice.” 

_It’s my choice._

_But if it’s my choice, then why do I choose nothing?_

_I don’t want to fight Asgore._

_I don’t want to give Asgore my soul._

_I don’t want to stay in the Underground._

_I don’t want leave everyone._

“I don’t know what to do.” You’re a really indecisive person. You can be a leader, but it’s so much easier for you to be a follower. You listen to others. So, you don’t know what to do on your own free will.

That’s probably for the best. 

“don’t worry, kid. you’ll know when the time comes.”  

_What?_

You decide not to question it aloud, sighing.

“I hope so... you’re a good friend, Sans. Thank you.” You hug him back before standing up. He does the same. 

“heh, thanks, pal. you, too. and, no _bones_ about it.” You laugh.

“... I won’t fight Asgore. But... he’s not keeping my soul. So, don’t worry. I’ll, uh, try to do the right thing.” 

“you will. i know you will.”

“Thanks. Goodbye, Sans. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.” 

“later, molly.” He teleports out of here. You’re happy about my newfound decision as you walk through the doorway. You put the hair tie around your wrist and fix up your hair a little bit, making it look decent. 

There’s no more gold. Once again, everything is gray and white, with brick walls. You take a right and look at a sign to your left.  

 _Throne Room_  

There are some colourless vines growing on the walls. A giant doorway is right next to the sign.

 _I guess this is it._  

You take a deep breath and walk through the doorway. It’s hard to tell what colour the actual ground is (you think orange) because it’s covered in bright green leaves, all looking very healthy. In the middle of the room is a large patch of golden flowers and a throne, of course, and standing upon the flowers is Asgore, his back turned towards you. He’s very tall, somewhere around 6’. From what you can see, he is wearing a royal purple cloak and golden shoulder pad-like accessories. His shoulder-length hair is yellow, and he has long, white horns. You take a couple steps towards him, making sure that your footsteps are loud enough to be heard.

“Dum see dum...” You hear the king quietly hum to himself. You already recognise his voice from the VHS tapes. You can hear birds chirping outside, somehow.

“Oh? Is someone there? Just a moment! I have almost finished watering these flowers.” He pauses.

 _Asgore’s favourite tea is golden flower tea. I remember Undyne telling me that. He likes these flowers a lot, it seems._

_And that makes him seem okay to me._  

“... here we are!” He turns around.

_Oh._

He’s a white goat monster, as well. He has a beard and goatee that is connected to his hair. He has long, floppy ears, and brown eyes. On the top of his head is a small crown, and at the very top of his chest is the Delta Rune in gold. In his right hand is a red watering can, and it looks like he’s wearing a type of armour.

His face reminds me of Toriel’s. A kind, nurturing look. 

He doesn’t look bad. He doesn’t look evil. He doesn’t look like a murderer. 

He looks like a father. He looks sad. He looks protective.

He looks like a good person.

You hate this. You don’t want to fucking do this.

“Howdy! What can I...” His eyes land on you, and he realises who you are. He takes a step back, surprised. “Oh.” He turns to his side, looking away from you.

_Yeah. Oh._

“I so badly want to say, ‘would you like a cup of tea?’” He turns back towards you. “But... you know how it is.” He walks to one of the windows on the wall, looking at it. I look at it, too. “Nice day today, huh?” He looks at you.

You nod. 

“Birds are singing, flowers are blooming... perfect weather for a game of catch.” He pauses, looking back out the window before looking back at you. “You know what we must do... when you are ready, come into the next room.” He turns around and walks away, walking through a doorway ahead. 

_I’ll never be ready._

You slowly walk, looking around. The windows from the hall before match the ones in this room. Next to the doorway, in a corner, is a smaller throne, covered by a white sheet.

Toriel’s throne, most likely.

You walk through the doorway. This room is like the place that you fell down in, except no bed of golden flowers. The ground is like concrete, and most of the area is covered in darkness. Asgore stands in front of you, seeming to have been waiting for you.

“How tense... just think of it like... a visit to the dentist.” He takes a right, continuing to walk.

_That doesn’t help._

You follow him. He stops in front of a large doorway (yes, doorway is repeated a lot, it’s not your fault there are so many of them, there’s no fucking doors!) that has the Delta Rune above it. You stop, too.

“Are you ready?” He doesn’t even turn to look at me. “If you are not, I understand. I am not ready either.” He walks ahead.

Like you said, you fucking hate this.

You take another deep breath and follow him, walking through the doorway.

 _Woah._  

In front of you is a clear, yet not, long wall. It’s white, and looks to be never ending.

It’s almost mesmerising. 

“This is the barrier.” Asgore explains, his back turned to you again.

_Holy shit._

“This is what keeps us all trapped underground.” He pauses. “If... if by chance you have any unfinished business, please do what you must.”

You don’t. 

“I don’t.” You say. You sound weak, like a broken, fearful child.

Perhaps it’s because that’s exactly how you feel.

“... I see... this is it, then.” He turns around. “Ready?” Seven small containers come out of the ground next to him; three on his left and four on his right.

They’re all filled with souls.

From left to right, it’s green, for kindness, yellow, for justice, orange, for bravery, purple, for perseverance, dark blue, for integrity, and cyan, for patience.

The fourth container is empty, meaning that it must be meant for your soul: Red, for determination.

Speaking of which, your soul appears in front of you for what you hope to not be the last time.

“Human... it was nice to meet you. Goodbye.” He looks down at the ground for a second, before suddenly looking back up and to his left, surprised. 

_What?_

Before you can turn to see what he’s looking at, a fireball comes hurdling towards him. It hits him dead on, and he stumbles back a bit, to his left. 

_Who just-_

You turn to your right and see someone who you’ve been missing this entire time.

_Toriel._

She walks in front of you.

“What a miserable creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth... do not be afraid, my child. It is I, Toriel, your friend and guardian.”

You smile.

“At first, I thought I would let you make your journey alone. But I could not stop worrying about you. Your adventure must have been so treacherous... and ultimately, it would burden you with a horrible choice. To leave this place, you would have to take the life of another person. You would have to defeat Asgore. However... I realised... I cannot allow that. It is not right to sacrifice someone simply to let someone leave here. Is that not what I have been trying to prevent this whole time? So, for now, let us suspend this battle. As terrible as Asgore is... he deserves mercy, too.”

 _Oh wow, I didn’t even have to do anything. I was going to try and talk to him and stuff, but... thanks, Toriel._

_Thanks for coming back for me._

Asgore takes a couple steps towards Toriel, but there is still a space of a couple feet between them.

“Tori... you came back...!” 

“Do not ‘Tori’ me, Dreemurr!”

_Damn, Toriel!_

“You pathetic whelp.” She continues. “If you really wanted to free our kind, you could have gone through the barrier after you got _one_ Soul, taken six Souls from the humans, then came back and freed everyone peacefully. But instead, you made everyone live in despair, because you would rather wait here, meekly hoping another human never comes.” 

_Holy crap, Toriel! She really does hate him!_

You look over at Asgore, who looks extremely upset about what just happened.

“... Tori... you’re right... I am a miserable creature... but, do you think we can at least be friends again?” Toriel sighs.

“No, Asgore.”

“Ngahhhhhh!!!” You turn around at the sudden scream to see Undyne behind you, wearing the same outfit she did when you first became friends.

“Asgore! Human!! Nobody fight each other!!! Everyone’s gonna make friends or else I’ll...!! I’ll...” She’s at a loss for words. 

“Hello. I am Toriel. Are you the human’s friend? It is nice to meet you.” Toriel says to Undyne.

“Uh, yeah...? Nice to meet you!” Undyne smiles proudly, walking over to Asgore.

“Hey Asgore. Is that your ex?” You hear Undyne quietly say to Asgore. He solemnly nods. “Jeez. That’s rough, buddy.” 

“H-hey!” Alphys walks up to you. “Nobody hurt each other!!” She pauses, looking around.

“Oh! Are you another friend?” Toriel asks Alphys. “I am Toriel. Hello!” 

“Uh, h-h-hi! THERE’S TWO OF THEM???” She loudly whispers the last part to you before going over to Undyne. 

“HEY!” Papyrus walks up to me. “NOBODY FIGHT ANYONE!! IF ANYONE FIGHTS ANYONE...! THEN I’LL!!! BE FORCED!!! TO ASK UNDYNE FOR HELP!!!”

 _Haha, nice, Papyrus._  

“Hello!” Toriel says to Papyrus.

“OH! HELLO, YOUR MAJESTY!”

 _Oh, does he already know who Toriel is?_  

“PSST! HEY, HUMAN...” He “whispers” (basically says in a regular volume). “DID ASGORE SHAVE...? AND... CLONE HIMSELF????” 

_Nope, he doesn’t._

Before you can try to explain to him who Toriel is, Sans also walks up to you.

“hey guys... what’s up?”

“That voice...!!” Toriel exclaims. I look over at her.

 _Oh my god, the door in Snowdin. Where they would tell each other jokes._

_This is freaking adorable._

Toriel walks over to you, Sans, and Papyrus standing closer to you and Sans.

“Hello, I think we may... already know each other?” Toriel tells Sans.

“oh hey... i recognise your voice, too.”

“I am Toriel. So nice to meet you.” 

“the name’s sans.” He winks. “and, uh, same.”

“Oh, wait, then...” Toriel looks back at Papyrus. “This must be your brother, Papyrus! Greetings, Papyrus! It is so nice to finally meet you! Your brother has told me so much about you.” 

“WOWIE...” Papyrus smiles widely. “I CAN’T BELIEVE ASGORE’S CLONE KNOWS WHO I AM!!! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!”  

“Hey, Papyrus...” Toriel says. “What does a skeleton tile his roof with?”

_Oh my god, is she...?_

“HMMM... SNOW-PROOF ROOF TILES???”  

“No, silly! A skeleton tiles his roof with... _shin_ -gles!!!” Toriel and Sans laugh, as do you, quietly, while Undyne, Alphys, and Asgore all look super confused. Oh, and Papyrus looks super annoyed. 

“I CHANGED MY MIND!!! THIS IS THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE!!!”

“Come on, Asgore! It’s gonna be ok!” Undyne comforts Asgore, who still looks very upset about Toriel. “There are plenty of fish in the sea...” 

“Y-yeah, Asgore!!” Alphys agrees. “Undyne’s totally right about that fish thing! S-sometimes you’ve just got to, uh... s-stop going after furry boss monsters and, uh... j-just get to know a really cute fish?” She smiles nervously. “It’s a metaphor.” 

“Well.” Undyne says. “I think it’s a good analogy.”  

“Oh my god!” You turn around and see Mettaton. “Will you to just smooch already!? The audience is dying for some romantic action!!!” And with that, he just walks away.

“HEY, SHUT UP!!!” Undyne yells through gritted teeth. “Man, the nerve of that guy! Right, Alphys!??” Alphys doesn’t say anything. “Uh, Alphys?”

“No. He’s right. LET’S DO IT.” Undyne looks extremely surprised.  

_What the actual fuck, Alphys!?_

“Well??? Uh??? I guess??? If you want to??? Then????” Undyne asks. “Don’t hold anything back!” She smiles, blushing slightly. They begin to lean towards each other, Undyne bending down slightly, and you look at the ground, blushing. 

_What the fuck, come on, you guys aren’t going to do that in front of me, in front of everyone, are you, the fuck, guys?!_

“W-wait!” You look up and see Toriel, who has now come between Undyne and Alphys. Literally.

“Not in front of the human!” You smile awkwardly.

_Oh god, thank you, Toriel, this is just super awkward for me._

“Uhh, right! S-sorry, I got a little carried away there.” Alphys apologises. Toriel laughs as Alphys takes a step away from Toriel, allowing Sans to stand in between the two of them, and Papyrus stands next to Alphys. 

“My child, it seems as if you must stay here for a while. But looking at all the great friends you have made, I think... I think you will be happy here.” She smiles at you, along with everyone else. Even Asgore smiles. You smile back at everyone, crossing your arms.

_I’m okay with this._

_It’ll all be okay._  

“H-hey, that reminds me.” Alphys turns towards Papyrus. “Papyrus... _you_ called everyone here, right? Well, besides, uh, her.” She motions towards Toriel. “Uh, anyway... if I got here before you... how did you know to call everybody?”

“LET’S JUST SAY... A TINY FLOWER HELPED ME.”

_No._

_No, it... it can’t be..._

“A tiny... flower?” Alphys anxiously says as your eyes widen.

 

 

 

_“Don’t worry, my little monarch, my plan isn’t regicide. This is_ so _much more interesting.”_

_“Soon, my plan will fall into place, and I will be the strongest person to ever grace this horrible planet. Talk to you later,_ idiot _.”_

 

_“well, papyrus told me something interesting the other day. sometimes, when no one else is around, a flower appears and whispers to him. flattery, advice, encouragent.”_

_“predictions.”_

_“His name is Flowey, and though I’ve never seen him talk to Papyrus, I’m almost 100 percent sure that it’s him. He is... not good news. At all.”_

_About ten feet away is the goddamn flower, just looking at you with a smirk on his face._

 

_“I FEEL STRONGLY AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON. YOU SHOULD ALSO GO... THERE. TO HER. LAB... HOUSE. I HAVE ONLY GOOD FEELINGS ABOUT THIS.”_

Your smile drops. You put your arms back to your sides and exchange glances with Alphys and Sans, who both understand what’s going on. 

_Oh god._

“Everyone, we have to leave right now, t-“ You begin to say, but suddenly, something wraps around your left ankle and pulls you, causing you to fall backwards. You hear everyone gasp.  

_Fuck, my head... wait, no, I have to focus, I have to get up, now!_

The thing around your ankle let’s go immediately, and you quickly get up.

_No..._  

In front of you, all of your friends are being lifted by a single, thorny vine. It has wrapped around everyone twice (they’re all separated), leaving no space for any of them to escape, despite some of them (Undyne, really) pushing against the vines.

“No.” You say, taking a step back.

“You _idiots_.” I look down at Flowey, who’s wearing his stupid smirk. “While you guys were having your little pow-wow, I took the human Souls!” You forgot all about the souls. You look back at the containers, which are all now empty. 

“And now, not only are _those_ under my power, but all of your friends’ Souls are gonna be mine, too! Hee hee hee. And you know what the best part is? It’s all your fault. It’s all because you _made them_ love you. All the time you spent listening to them... encouraging them... caring about them... without that, they wouldn’t have come here.”

_He..._

_He’s right._

_This is all my fault._

_I learned my lesson long ago, but..._

_I guess I’ll never learn, will I?_

_I hate myself._

“And now, with their souls and the humans’ together, I will achieve my _real form_. Hee hee...” 

“Stop, just stop! Let them go! They have nothing to do with this! It’s just about me... why are you doing this?!” You yell at Flowey.  

“Huh? Don’t you get it?” Flowey asks you.

“Get what?!”

“This is all just a game. If you leave the underground satisfied, you’ll ‘win’ the game. If you ‘win,’ you won’t want to ‘play’ with me anymore.”

_What the fuck?!_

“And what would I do then? But this game between us will _never_ end. I’ll hold victory in front of you, just within your reach... and then tear it away just before you grasp it. Over, and over, and over... hee hee hee. Listen. If you _do_ defeat me, I’ll give you your ‘happy ending.’ I’ll bring your friends back. I’ll destroy the barrier. Everyone will be satisfied. But that _won’t_ happen. You...! I’ll keep you here no matter what!” 

Twenty of those pellets from the first time you met Flowey surround your soul.

“Even if it means killing you 1,000,000 times!!!” Flowey begins to laugh as the pellets all hit your soul. You gasp out in pain and put your hand on your chest, feeling as if you were just stabbed. More pellets surround your soul and hit it, causing your knees to buckle under you.  

“Stop...” You barely whisper out before your soul is hit again.

_Everyone..._

_I’m sorry._

Yoh look up at your soul just in time to watch the final set of pellets close in on it. 

But they don’t.

A ring of fire blocks your soul, forcing the pellets to disappear.

“What?” Flowey stops laughing.

“Do not be afraid, my child.” You look up at Toriel, who is beginning to smile at you. “No matter what happens, we will always be there to protect you!” Pellets fly at your soul on both sides, but they are blocked by a small spear and a small bone.

“THAT’S RIGHT, HUMAN!” Papyrus says, also smiling. “YOU CAN WIN!! JUST DO WHAT I WOULD DO... BELIEVE IN YOU!!!” 

“Hey! Human!” You look at Undyne. “If you got past ME, you can do ANYTHING! So don’t worry! We’re with you all the way!” 

“huh? you haven’t beaten this guy yet?” Sans asks you. “come on, this weirdo’s got nothin’ on you.” More pellets head towards your soul, but fire and little electrical zaps block them.

“Technically, it’s impossible for you to beat him...” Alphys states. “B-but... somehow, I know you can do it!!”

“Human, for the future of humans and monsters...!” Asgore says. “You have to stay determined!”

You look up at everyone smiling at you.

_I..._  

You slowly stand back up, noticing that your pain has gone away. 

_Did they... heal me...?_

More monsters, including Muffet and Shyren, begin to walk up behind you, standing around you and encouraging you. You smile back at everyone before looking back at Flowey. 

“Urrrgh... NO!” He screams. You shake your head at him.

“Yes. I believe in them, and if they believe in me, then... I believe in myself. So, I will defeat you. I’m determined to do so.” You tell him. He looks back at you in disbelief. 

“Unbelievable!!” His voice is shaking with rage. “This can’t be happening...! You... YOU...!” A wave of vertigo hits you. 

“I can’t believe you’re all so STUPID.” The ground begins to shake. “ALL OF YOUR SOULS ARE MINE!!!”

“Wait, no!” You yell out, but you’re too late. A white light flashes before your eyes, causing you to put your hands up in defence. Everything goes silent. Yoh slowly put my hands down and look in front of you. 

 

 

_What?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the twentieth chapter of I’m Drowning! Wow, I can’t believe it! Twenty freaking chapters! The song mentioned this time was Twisted by Missio. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I’ll talk to you soon! Byeeeee!!!


	21. Don’t You Know That My Friends Never Die?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get to help everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, we’re so freaking close to the end!!! It’s so saaaad! I don’t really have much to say, except that I hope you like this chapter and I’ll talk to you soon!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

In front of you is small, white goat monster, his back turned towards you. He’s wearing a light green and yellow-striped sweater and long, black pants. He has long, floppy ears just like Toriel and Asgore.

_Is this...?_

“Finally.” The boy says, his voice already familiar to you.

_Asriel._

_It’s him._

“I was so tired of being a flower.” Your breathing stops.

_Flowey and Asriel are the same person?!_

He turns around, looking and smiling almost ruefully at you. In his brown eyes you see... remorse? Relief?

Remembrance?

“Howdy! Chara, are you there?”

_He thinks I’m Chara?_  

“It’s me, your best friend.” In another flash of white, Asriel changes completely. It seems like he has aged and he’s levitating slightly. He’s wearing a dress just like Toriel’s and now has two long horns that curl inwards, black eyes with long white pupils, and a black stripe on each side of his face. On each of his shoulders are two, long purple accessories and it looks like he is wearing a golden locket that is in the shape of a heart. White letters appear before you, shaking. You read them, but you already know this.

_ASRIEL DREEMURR_

They go away, and your soul comes out (you guess it went away during that first flash of light). Behind Asriel, an array of colours appear, constantly changing. He begins to move around, raising his hands and summoning an attack. Large, white stars fly towards you, exploding into even smaller ones. you dodge as many as you can, but end up getting hit by a couple of them.

The true battle begins, you guess.

“You know...” Asriel closes his eyes, smirking, “I don’t care about destroying this world anymore.” He puts his hands up and opens one of his eyes, shaking his head. Suddenly, he raises his hands, rainbow zaps coming out of them. Multicoloured lightning strikes hit on the ground next to you, and you somehow manage to dodge all of them. 

“After I defeat you and gain total control over the timeline...”

_What?! How will that happen?!_

_And also what?! The_ timeline _?!?!_

“I just want to reset everything.” 

_WHAT THE HELL IS HE TALKING ABOUT._  

Two large, white swords appear in his hands. He moves towards you, swinging the swords at you one at a time. You dodge all of his hits except for the last one, where he swung both of them at you, causing them to disappear and fucking explode. 

Yeah, you weren’t expecting that.

In fact, you’re not sure what you’re expecting.

“All your progress... everyone’s memories. I’ll bring them all back to zero!” Lightning comes at me again, and you get struck by one of them this time. It feels like fire in your veins, but you make sure to keep on dodging the rest of them. 

You’re determined to not die.

“Then we can do everything ALL over again!” The star attack occurs. You’re able to dodge all of them this time. 

“And you know what the best part of all this is?” He doesn’t even give you a chance to answer. It’s not like you even felt like talking to him right now, though. “You’ll DO it!”

_WHAT THE FUCK._

A purple, gun-like object appears in his hand and begins shooting small, diamond-shaped things at you. You get hit by a couple of them, and are just barely able to dodge the last attack, where the gun charged up a super big rainbow laser, shooting it straight at you.

“And then you’ll lose to me again.” Sword attack. This time, you’re ready for the last part. You dodge the whole attack.

“And again.” Gun-thing attack. You dodge everything. 

“Because you want a ‘happy ending.’”

_HELL YEAH!_

Star attack. You get hit by a few of them. 

“Because you ‘love your friends.’”

_DAMN RIGHT._

Swords. You dodge everything.

“Because you ‘never give up.’”

_I mean, kinda..._

Gun-thing. You dodge everything, except for a new part at the end, where stars fly at you before the gun disappears. 

“Isn’t that delicious?” He smirks again. “Your ‘determination.’ The power that let you get this far... it’s gonna be your downfall!” Lightning. You get hit twice. He keeps on changing the patterns, making them unpredictable.

“Now, ENOUGH messing around! It’s time to purge this timeline once and for all!” He disappears, everything going black. What seems to be a white silhouette of Asriel’s (current) face appears in front of you, laughing before opening its mouth. Abruptly, you feel the diamond-things from before hitting you one after another, and it feels like all of your energy is being drained.

But, you refuse to drop down to the ground.

Asriel comes back, along with all of the colours behind him. 

“... even after that attack, you’re still standing in my way...? Wow... you really _are_ something special. But don’t get cocky. Up until now, I’ve only been using a fraction of my REAL power! Let’s see what good your determination is against THIS!!” There’s another flash of white. 

_Oh. My. God._

All that’s truly left of Asriel’s body is his head. His ears have grown longer, along with his horns. His torso is now a large, red sphere, with a white heart design in the middle of his. His legs have been replaced with a long, thin, black, heart-shaped arrow. Connecting the sphere and arrow-thing are some bright green, mechanical joints. On each of his shoulders are black, long shoulder pads that have a red outline. His hands and most of his arms are now white glove-like objects, with long claws and two black hearts. And to top it all off, he has had two gigantic wings, each multicoloured and constantly changing.

He looks like an angel from hell.

“Urah ha ha ha... behold my TRUE power!” He raises his hands, and small, pastel fireballs fly towards you. You get hit by a couple of them, burns leaving marks on your skin and clothing.

“Your life will end here, in a world where no one remembers you...” More fireballs. You get hit a few more times. 

“Still, you’re hanging on...? That’s fine. In a few moments, you’ll forget everything, too. That attitude will serve you well in your next life!” Fireballs. You get hit a couple times. You can feel your skin almost boiling, and you’re tempted to scream out in pain. Blood can be found on some parts of your clothing, and on the side of your neck. 

_No... I can’t keep going on like this._

_I’m going to die if I keep on getting hit._

_I don’t think I can save myself._

_..._

_..._

_But... maybe... with what little power I have left..._

_I can save someone else._

“I...” You begin to say. “I call upon my friends’ souls!” Asriel looks at you confusedly whilst you yell out the first names you think of.

“I call upon the souls of Toriel and Asgore Dreemurr!!” 

In a flash of white, Asriel goes away.

And Toriel and Asgore take his place.

They look the same, except for  weird, white blocks covering up their faces. 

“This is for your own good.” Toriel says. 

“Forgive me for this.” Asgore says. They both attack you with fire. You only get hit once.

_They must not remember me... or they don’t understand what’s going on? Like... they’re acting as if we’re not friends and we’re fighting...?_

_Like there’s no hope._

You walk up to Toriel and hug her.

“You don’t have to worry, Toriel. I’m coming back for you. I’m always going to come back for you.” Perhaps you saying this will help? You let go of her before they both attack you again,  saying, “No one will ever leave again,” and, “This is my duty.” You walk up to Asgore. 

“Asgore... I don’t want to fight you. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. We’ll find a way to do this peacefully.” They both attack you.

“I’ll find a way to save everyone! I’ll come back, I’ll protect you! No one’s dying, and no one is being left behind!” You tell both of them. Suddenly, the white-things around their faces go away. They both smile at you.

“Your fate is up to you now!” Toriel tells me.

“You are our future!” Asgore tells me. You smile at them before they disappear, their son coming back. 

“I call upon the souls of Sans and Papyrus!” Sure enough, Asriel goes away again, Papyrus and Sans taking his place. They also have the weird white stuff around their faces.

“I MUST CAPTURE A HUMAN!” Papyrus says. 

“just give up. i did.” Sans says. Bones fly towards me, and like before, you only get hit once. 

“Um... why did the skeleton not go to the dance? He had no _body_ to go with!” You joke. You can tell how Papyrus seems slightly irritated, whilst Sans likes the joke.

“THEN EVERYONE WILL!”

“why even try.” Bones fly towards you again. You walk up to Papyrus.

“Papyrus, we’ll cook as many things as you want together. You can show me all of your recipes, and we can make _all_ the spaghetti.” Papyrus stays silent, and all Sans says is, “you’ll never see ‘em again.” Bone attack again. You walk up to Sans.

“Sans, when this is over, you can be lazy, and take naps, and... and we can go to Grillby’s again!” They both stay silent as you’re attacked with bones again. 

“You two are just so wonderful and nice and caring. You both helped me in so many ways... I care about both of you so much.” Your voice breaks at the end as the white stuff goes away. 

“NO! WAIT! YOU’RE MY FRIEND! I COULD NEVER CAPTURE YOU!” Papyrus tells me. 

“nah, i’m rootin’ for ya, kid.” Sans tells me. You all smile at each other before they go away and Asriel comes back.

“I call upon the soul of Undyne!” Asriel goes away, and Undyne appears, her face blocked by the white-stuff. A green spear forms in your hands.

“All humans will die!” You block all the spears that she throws at you. You walk up to her and tap her lightly, pretending to punch her. 

“You know why I’m hitting you like this, right? It’s cause I don’t want to fight you. And you told me that you don’t to fight me either!” 

“You’re our real enemy.” She says. You block all of the spears again.

“You can teach me how to cook again! Me and Papyrus, both! Isn’t... isn’t that what BFFs do?” She doesn’t say anything as you block all of the spears.

“Undyne... your kindness overpowers your aggressiveness. You hated me, you wanted me dead, and now you want to be my friend! And I want to be your friend, too!” The spear in your hands disappear, along with the white-stuff. 

“Well, some humans are ok, I guess!” She smiles widely. You smile back at her before she disappears, and Asriel comes back. And, last but certainly not least, there’s only one person left.

“I call upon the soul of Alphys!” Asriel goes away, and Alphys appears in front of you, with the white squares covering her face. And, instead of her usual lab coat, she’s wearing the black dress that she wore on our fake date. She doesn’t even say anything as mini Mettatons fly towards me. You dodge all of them.

“We can watch Mew Mew Kissy Cutie together after this! But not the second one cause I know how much you hate that one!”

“I’ve got to keep lying...” More tiny Mettatons. You dodge all of them again. 

“No, you don’t! Don’t be scared, Alphys! I’ll support you all the way! We’ll _all_ support you and love you for who you are!” The white squares go away. 

“No, that’s not true! My friends like me! And I like you!” YOh smile at each other before she goes away. Asriel comes back.

_I..._

_I think there’s someone else I need to save..._

_But who?_

_... wait._

_I know._

“I... I call upon the soul of Asriel Dreemurr!” Asriel stares at you, bewildered.

“Huh? What are you doing...?!” Before he can say anything else, a scene plays before your eyes.

A child lays on the ground. And is found by a small, goat monster who carries them to safety. In time, the goat monster’s family almost seemed to adopt the child.

They were happy.

They were all so happy.

The scene goes away after only a couple of seconds. You stare back at Asriel, who looks almost... sad.

“I call upon the soul of Asriel Dreemurr.”

“Wh... what did you do...? What’s this feeling...? What’s happening to me? No! NO! I don’t need ANYONE!” The pastel flames head towards you. You get hit by so many of them. But you stay standing and call out for Asriel’s soul again, even taking a step towards him. 

“STOP IT! Get away from me! Do you hear me?! I’ll tear you apart!” He attacks you with the flames again, but a lot less of them. You only get hit once. 

“Asriel!” You say.

“... Chara... do you know why I’m doing this...? Why I keep fighting to keep you around...?” Regular flames appear and fly away from you, not towards you.

“Asriel...!” 

“I’m doing this... because you’re special, Chara. You’re the only one that understands me. You’re the only one who’s any fun to play with anymore... no... that’s not _just_ it. I... I... I’m doing this because I care about you, Chara! I care about you more than anybody else!” More of the flames that don’t nend to be dodged towards you appear.

“Asriel...” 

“I’m not ready for this to end. I’m not ready for you to leave. I’m not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again...” More flames that you don’t have to dodge.

“As... riel...”

“So, please...” His voice is wavering. “STOP doing this... AND JUST LET ME WIN!!!” He raises his hands, seeming to be charging something. He quickly puts them down and points them towards you. A rainbow light flies at you. 

Everything hurts. 

You drop to the ground, screaming out in pain.

“STOP IT!!!” Asriel yells.

_I..._

“STOP IT NOW!!!” 

_No..._

Your hands begin to feel like they’re burning. Suddenly, a white light appears around them, and a white shield forms in front of you, blocking the rest of the laser. Once the attack is done, the shield drops and you try to get back up.

“As... ri... el...” You barely say.

“Chara...” You’re somehow able to take a step towards him.

“I’m so alone, Chara.” You take another step.

“I’m so afraid, Chara.” And another step. You’re right in front of him.

“Chara, I...” You reach out to him.

“I...”  

A white light flashes before your eyes. Your burns and cuts all go away, along with the blood and tears in your clothing. 

You don’t feel like you’re dying anymore.

In front of you is Asriel, the child version. He’s crying.

“I’m so sorry.” He says. 

_Aw..._

“I always was a crybaby, wasn’t I, Chara?”

“Um, Asriel...”

“... I know. You’re not actually Chara, are you?” He’s now basically stopped crying.

“I’m afraid not.”

“Chara’s been gone for a long time. Um... what... what _is_ your name?” 

“Molly.”

“That’s... a nice name.” He gives you a small smile. You smile back at him. 

“I haven’t felt like this for a long time.” He tells you. “As a flower, I was soulless. I lacked the power to love other people. However, with everyone’s souls inside me... I not only have my own compassion back, but I can feel every other monster’s as well. They all care about each other so much. And... they care about you, too, Molly.” He pauses. “I wish I could tell you how everyone feels about you. Papyrus... Sans... Undyne... Alphys... Toriel. Monsters are weird. Even though they barely know you, it feels like they all really love you.”

You don’t think he knows how much you appreciate him saying this to you.

“Haha... Molly... I... I understand if you can’t forgive me. I understand if you hate me. I acted so strange and horrible. I hurt you. I hurt so many people. Friends, family, bystanders... there’s no excuse for what I’ve done.” You stare back at him. 

_He..._

_Flowey... I don’t think I could forgive him._

_But... this isn’t Flowey. Flowey isn’t Flowey. Flowey is Asriel._

_Asriel deserves my forgiveness._

“I forgive you, Asriel.” 

“Wh... what? Molly... Molly, c’mon. You’re gonna make me cry again...” You sadly smile at him. “...besides, even if you do forgive me... I can’t keep these souls inside of me. The least I can do is return them. But first... there’s something I have to do. Right now, I can feel everyone’s hearts beating as one. They’re all burning with the same desire. With everyone’s power... with everyone’s determination... it’s time for monsters... to finally be free.” He closes his eyes and slowly raises his arms before levitating. The human souls surround him, and hundreds, no, thousands of white, upside-down souls also surround him. 

_Holy shit._

_Every single monster soul does equal a human soul, doesn’t it._

In a flash of white light (yes, there’s a lot of those), you hear something in the distance crack. 

_The barrier has been destroyed, I guess._  

The souls are all gone, and Asriel is back on the ground.

“Molly... I have to go now.” He sadly tells you. “Without the power of everyone’s souls, I can’t keep maintaining this form. In a little while... I’ll turn back into a flower. I’ll stop being ‘myself.’ I’ll stop being able to feel love again.”

_That’s so fucking horrible. I wish I could do something for this sweet child._

“So, Molly... it’s best if you just forget about me, ok?”

_What?_  

“Just go be with people who love you.” He looks like he’s on the verge of tears again.

_I’m gonna fucking do something, anything to make him feel a little better if it’s the last thing I do._

You close the distance between the two of you, hugging him. He’s a couple inches shorter than you, allowing it to be pretty easy for you to hug him. He gasps quietly before hugging you back.

“I’m so sorry, Asriel. I wish I could save you.” You feel the soft fur on his head touch your neck softly. You also feel tiny drops of water hit your skin and your sweatshirt. You rub his back lightly.

“Ha... ha...” He laughs out, his voice thick with emotion. “I don’t want to let go...” You continue to hug him for a minute or two more before he breaks off the contact, wiping his face with his sleeve.

“Molly... you’re... you’re going to do a great job, ok? No matter what you do. Everyone will be there for you, ok?” You nod your head. He turns to his left. 

“Well... my time’s running out. Goodbye.” He begins to walk off, and before you can say goodbye to him, too, he turns around one final time.

“By the way... Molly... take care of Mom and Dad for me, ok?” A single tear runs down your right cheek. 

“Yes. Of course, Asriel. I promise.” 

That’s the last thing you say before 

everything goes

  

to

 

 

darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the twenty-first chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time was My Friends Never Die by ODESZA. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I’ll talk to you really, really soon! 
> 
> P.S. I wonder what that white shield was all about...?
> 
> Okay, thank you so much, byeeeeeee!!!


	22. Goodbye To A World Where I Was Drowning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You guess it’s your turn to be saved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo!!! I told you I’d talk to you guys really soon! This is an extremely short chapter but please don’t skip it, it’s very important! This is exactly why I didn’t want you to skip the second chapter!! Thanks and I’ll talk to you guys soon!!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_You’re drowning._

_You must be. You’re floating in what appears to be an ocean._

_You can’t breathe. You can feel water in your lungs._

_It’s hard to see underwater. It’s all dark._

_Very dark._

_It feels like the darkness is slowly consuming you._

_You want to scream out for help. But you can’t do that._

_You don’t think you know how to._

_You want to give up. Youwant to stop._

_But you can’t._

_And you don’t know why._

_You look up. There’s a hand sticking into the water._

_Reaching for something._

_And then there’s another one. And another. And another._

_They just keep on appearing._

_You hear something._

_No. Someone._

_Calling out for you._

_You raise your hand and reach out to the hands, trying to grab onto one of them._

_You do._

_You’re being pulled. Out of the water._

 

_You can breathe._

 

 

You open your eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the twenty-second chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time was Goodbye To A World by Porter Robinson. Omg, I’m just so shocked that this story is basically almost over! The next chapter is *GASP* the last one!!
> 
> But not really.
> 
> You’ll know what I mean soon.
> 
> Talk to you later, byeeeee!!!


	23. We’re Finally Out Of The Woods, Or, Mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freedom is exhilariting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAHHH!! I couldn’t wait to start on the last chapter!!! I’m so saaaaad! I actually almost started crying, seriously! Lot of stuff happens in this finale, and we get our happy ending!
> 
> But don’t expect this to be the end of Molly’s story.
> 
> It’s only just begun.
> 
> I’ll hopefully talk to all of you soon, and I hope you enjoy the last chapter of I’m Drowning!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

  _“Molly!”_  

 

_“This is all just a bad dream...!”_

 

_“Please, wake up!”_

 

...

 

You open your eyes. You hear a murmur of voices, and you’re laying down on something really uncomfortable.

_Oh._

It’s the ground.

You stare up at a ceiling made of rock, your head aching. You could probably understand what the voices were saying if there wasn’t a ringing in your ears. As the noise slowly fades, you groan almost silently, raising your hands up to your face and covering your eyes.

“Oh! You are awake! Thank goodness!” The ringing completely goes away, and a voice cuts crystal clear through the rest of the voices, causing them to stop. You freeze and slowly bring your hands away from your face. You crick your neck a little bit, noticing that the voice came from behind you. Your eyes land on Toriel.

_Oh._

_OH._

You quickly sit up. You hadn’t really remembered what was going on (and what had happened) until now. Everyone’s here: Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, and Asgore.

You notice how Toriel and Asgore are the furthest apart out of the six monsters. 

“W-we were so worried...!” Alphys says. “It felt like you were out forever!”

“Yeah!” Undyne agrees. “Any longer and I would have freaked out! Tell us next time you’re gonna take a nap, ok?!” 

“yeah. you made papyrus cry like a baby.” Sans tells me. You look at Papyrus guiltily.

_Awww, no, I didn’t mean to!!_

“WHAT!! I DIDN’T CRY!!! I DON’T CRY!! I JUST... CAUGHT SOMETHING IN MY EYE.”

“what did you catch?” 

“TEARS!!!” 

“Now, now.” You stand up, turning towards Asgore. “The important part is that Molly is alright.”

_Hm, I guess Papyrus and Sans told him, and perhaps everyone except for Alphys, my name. Oh, ha, or maybe Alphys told everyone my name. I don’t know._

_I mean, I don’t mind it._

_But I kinda wish I had gotten the chance to do it._  

“Here, Molly.” Asgore continues, holding a cup of something in his hand. “Why not drink some tea? It’ll make you feel better.” Unsure about his offer, you stand silently, tempted to take it from him due to feeling pressured. 

_It’s not like I want to be mean to Asgore or anything. But, uh..._

_I don’t know him that well yet?_

_And I’m still trying to... you know..._

_Process everything that’s happened._  

“Errr... how about we give her space, first?” Toriel intervenes. You flash her a grateful smile, realising that you do, indeed, want and need some space. “She must be very exhausted. Though, from what, I am not certain. Molly... we do not exactly remember what happened.”

_Wait, what?_

“There was a flower... and then, everything went white. But now the barrier is gone. When you are ready, we will all return to the surface. It seems the door to the east will lead us there now. But before then... perhaps you might want to talk a walk? You can say goodbye to all of your wonderful friends. Do as you wish. We will all wait for you here.”

_I guess when Asriel had kinda erased their memories, that prevented them from being able to remember what was currently happening._

_It’s probably for the best._

You nod your head to Toriel, thanking her. At first, you don’t think you really have anything to do, since everyone is coming up to the surface world. 

But then you remember.

That maybe... 

You should go talk to that snowman! The one that gave you a piece of himself! 

Before you do that, you talk to everyone. Toriel and Sans tell you about how they are texting each other now (ugh, so cute!), Asgore apologises for wanting to kill you (you forgive him, of course), and they all tell you some other interesting things. Then, you go all the way back to Snowdin, which took, like, fourty-five minutes, an hour?? 

You don’t know. All you know is that it felt hella long.

You finally make your way back to the snowman, having been talking to many monsters about how the barrier is now broken. Yoh walk up to him.

“Hey... do you, uh... do you want this piece of you back?” You ask him.

“Yes, thank you. I have enjoyed experiencing every place that you have ventured to, traveler. I appreciate your kindness.” You take out the piece of the snowman.

“No problem.” You pat the piece of unmelted ice back onto (into???) his body.

“If you don’t mind me asking, would you please take another piece of me? A different one, of course. I can feel the weariness of the piece you have returned to me.” You stare at the frozen monster curiously. 

“Another one? Have you heard that the barrier’s broken? You’ll be able to go anywhere you want?”

“I’m not sure about that. You see, even if I am up on the surface, it will still be incredibly difficult for me to be mobile. I will still not be able to explore the world that lies ahead.”

“Oh, jeez... man, I’m sorry. Listen, when we’re up there, we’ll find a way to help you move around, okay? But, until then, I’ll accept your offer.” You take a piece of him from the other side of his body that you put the first piece on (in??). 

“Thank you very much.” You put the piece in your backpack, saying a quick “You’re welcome” to the snowman before walking away. You then come to a stop, remembering something. 

_Wait a second... am I missing something?_

You open up your backpack again, looking through it. You see your two stupid granola bars, two other hair ties, phone, headphones... your other phone is in your pocket and you’re still wearing your sweatshirt, so you don’t think you’re missing anything, but...

_I feel like something isn’t... in... there..._

 

 

_“_ Get the fuck off me _!” You practically scream at the top of your lungs, kicking at the thing on your foot. It comes off, but, unfortunately, your motions were so abrupt and hard, you lose your balance and fall backwards. The latch on your backpack catches on the table behind you, popping open. You fall to an angle, to your left, so you still hit the ground._

Fuck, this goddamn thing can handle so many falls, but when it comes to tables, it just has to break!

_..._

_You quickly grab your phone and your headphones, shoving them back in your backpack. Thankfully, the latch didn’t break, it just opened. You’re so terrified by what just happened, you quickly get up, only stopping to check the drain that the things retreated in._

_You’re in such a rush, you don’t notice how you’ve dropped your book, the one you’ve been keeping notes in. It went under the table, so that’s also why you didn’t even notice_ it. 

  

 

You face palm, smacking your forehead. 

_My book! My fucking book! I must have dropped it in the lab!_

_Ugh, I wish I had realised it sooner, but unfortunately, I didn’t._

_Well, I sure as hell am not leaving it behind! I wrote so much in there!_

It takes you about half an hour to get to Alphys’s lab. You go down the elevator, which doesn’t lose power this time. After a couple minutes, you find the room where you had dropped all the stuff. 

_Okay, now to find it._

As you look around the still dimly-lit room, you think about your fight with Asriel, and a specific point in it.

_When he was shooting me with that laser thing, there was a shield..._

_Did I do that?_

_No, no, I couldn’t have... monsters have magic, not humans._

_There’s no possible way. Maybe I somehow tapped into Asriel’s magic, since it was so powerful, or my friends’..._

_ma... gic..._

“Oh my god.” You had turned around, looking for the book, when you notice that, in the middle of the room, is your book, a soft, white glow surrounding it. 

“Am I...?” 

You look down at your hands, a slight tingling sensation in them. Sure enough, the same glow that’s around the book is around your hands. You gasp, and the book falls to the ground. The white light goes away. 

“Oh my god. OH MY GOD I HAVE MAGIC OHHHH MY GOD!” You don’t bother being quiet, seeing how no one is even down here anymore. “HOLY SHIT. OH MY FUCK.” 

When you were kid, you always liked to pretend that you had magic. You were a magical princess, or a magical warrior, or a magical sorcerer. You would pick a certain object and try to “cast a spell on it” or “levitate it.” 

Everyone did something like that, right? 

But you never thought, not in a million years, that you would actually have magic. 

_This is insane!_

_I..._

_I..._

_I can’t tell anyone._

_What would people think of me? What would my new friends think of me? Would they push me away, would I be a public spectacle...?_

_Will people think I’m dangerous?_

You decide to keep your magic (HOLY SHIT ITS SO WILD TO SAY THAT) a secret for now. You’ll tell them soon, but...

Just not yet. There’s a lot going on right now, and a lot that will go on in the very near future.

You pick up the book and put it in your backpack. You then go back to where everyone is, telling them that you’re ready. 

You’re also kinda nervous, but you don’t tell them that.

They all go first, heading to the door. You follow behind all of them. You go through another doorway before finally reaching the outside.

The first thing you notice is the orange and yellow light.  

It’s sunrise.

You all stand at the edge of a cliff, staring at the sunset. Ahead of you are homes, schools, parks, restaurants, shoppes...

The classic suburban area of New York.

This part is the most populated, since it’s the closest to NYC.

But, you don’t focus on the land part. Just like everyone else, you focus on the beautiful sunrise. The sky has become a warm orange, with light swirls of yellow.  

It’s gorgeous.

“Oh my...” Toriel is the first to speak.

“Isn’t it beautiful, everyone?” Asgore says next.

“Wow... it’s e-even better than on TV. _Way_ better! Better than I ever imagined!” Alphys says.

“Molly, you _live_ with this?! The sunlight is so nice... and the air is so fresh! I really feel alive!” Undyne says. You can hear the pure awe and astonishment in all of their voices. 

“Yeah... I-I always hear people say how you should stop for a moment and enjoy the small things in life, like sunrises, but... I never realised how right they were until now.” 

“Molly, are you alright?” Toriel asks you in a hushed tone, looking very concerned. 

You hadn’t noticed that you’re crying. 

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” You tell her, smiling. “I just... never thought I’d ever feel this happy again.”

She smiles back at you as you wipe the tears from your face.

“HEY SANS...” Papyrus says. “WHAT’S THAT GIANT BALL?”

“we call that ‘the sun,’ my friend.” Sans tells him. 

“THAT’S THE SUN?! WOWIE!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!!!” 

“I could stand here and watch this for hours...” Asgore comments.  

“Yes, it is beautiful, is it not?” Toriel adds in. “But we should really think about what comes next.”

“Oh, right.” Asgore remembers. “Everyone... this is the beginning of a bright new future. An era of peace between humans and monsters. Molly...” He turns towards you. You do the same. “I have something to ask of you. Will you act as our ambassador to the humans?” 

_Woah, what?!_

“The ambassador?! Oh, wow, I’m... I’m completely and utterly honoured, Asgore.” And while you can’t help but feel like you shouldn’t be trusted with such responsibility, you also can’t help but say: “I would love to be the ambassador.”

“YEAH! MOLLY WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR!” Papyrus encourages. You smile at him. “AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS... WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT! I’LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!” 

“Uh, wait, Papyrus...” He quickly walks away before you can try to stop him. 

“welp. someone’s gotta keep him from getting into trouble. see you guys.” Sans says before walking back towards where we came. You’re sure he’s going to do his teleporting-thing.

“Man, do I have to do EVERYTHING?” Undyne says. “Papyrus, wait!!!” She heads off in the direction that Papyrus went in. 

“Hey, Undyne!! Wait up!!” Alphys follows Undyne. 

“Whoops.” Asgore says. “Uh, should I do something?” Toriel glares at him. “Well, gotta go!” He follows suit with everyone else. You and Toriel stand next to each other in a comfortable silence. 

“I am very happy that you are talking, Molly.” She kindly tells you. You look up at her, feeling bad about not speaking to her when you had first met her. “I understand why you may have not speaking before. And while I do respect that... I am happy about your newfound decision.”

“I... thank you, Toriel.” She looks over to where everyone went.

“It seems that everyone is quite eager to set off.” You only nod your head in agreement once she looks back over at you. “Molly... you came from this world, right...? So you must have a place to return to, do you not? What will you do now?”  

_A place to return to..._

_As in, a home...?_

_A family...?_

“Toriel, I...” You look away from her for a second. 

_I should tell her that I have a family, that I have a home and that I don’t want to stay with her._

_Yeah._

_That’s a lie._  

And, for some reason, you can’t seem to tell her it.  

You look back up at her. 

“I live in an orphanage in the city. My parents, they... they died when I was a lot younger. I have no siblings, no aunts, uncles, cousins, grand parents. No one willing to take me in. The orphanage that I live in goes on a trip to this mountain once a month and I had fallen in the hole accidentally during our last trip. But, uh, to answer your question... I don’t really have a place to return to, but at the same time, I guess I do.” 

You didn’t lie to her. 

Not completely, anyway.

She looks at you as if you told her the saddest story in the whole entire world. You almost see tears in her eyes. 

“My child, I...” The nickname strikes you in the middle of your heart. This time, it felt more emotional than ever. “I had no idea. If... if it were not to bold of me to ask, perhaps I could take care of you.” 

More tears run down your face.

“Oh my god, I... Toriel, are you sure...? You don’t want to take care of someone like me, I... I don’t want to burden you, I-“ She gingerly sets a hand on your shoulder.

“Please, Molly. You would certainly not be a burden. I would be more than happy to take care of you.” 

She gasps when you hug her. 

“Thank you, thank you, you’re so amazing, Toriel, you’re so wonderful...” You compliment her, almost sobbing. She hugs you back. She feels warm. Safe. Comforting. 

Loving. 

After a few seconds, we let go. You stop crying, wiping away the last of your tears.

“Now, come along!” She grabs your hand. “Everyone is waiting for us!” You both begin to walk away, each of you smiling.

 

_I’m happy._

 

 

_I’m so happy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the last (OH MY GOOOOD) chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time was Out of the Woods by Taylor Swift. We’re almost at 400 hits OMG!! Thank you all so much for all of your support, I’m so thankful!! I really didn’t expect this fic to be so popular! I mean, I know it isn’t that big a number, but it seems gigantic to me!! Thank you so much for reading I’m Drowning and I will definetly talk to you all soon! Byeeeeeee!!!


	24. Author’s Note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some exciting news! *Updated AGAIN, please make sure to read the last part*
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeeeey!

Hello, everyone!!! It’s me, TheHipsterSinner!!

Wow, that sounded kinda stupid.

Anyway, I just wanted to update you all about something very, very important!

I have a new fic out!!

Sadly, it’s not the sequel to this (not yet, anyway, the first chapter is in the works). It’s a Sans/Reader fic, and I can assure you that you have never read anything like it before.

Yeah. That’s how special my brain is.

Ha, so, it’s called It’s A Christmas Miracle!, and if you want to check it out, just go into my profile and read the summary, see if you might be into it!

If that’s not your cup of tea, then wait until this weekend, when the sequel of I’m Drowning is coming out!

Either way, thank you for reading this story, and if you did check out my new fic, thank you so much!! I see that we’ve made it to over 400 hits!! Like I’ve said before, I’m so thankful!

Seriously. Why do you guys read this. My writing sucks.

Well, that’s all, I’ll update this story again this weekend to announce the sequel, and I will talk to you all soon!!!

 

 

*Update*

 

 

Okay, so.

Hi.

Like I said, I’ve started a new fic.

That I can’t stop thinking about.

Which means that it’s hard for me to focus on my sequel for this story.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to not do a sequel. I’ve already started the first chapter, but I’m also writing for my new story. So, the sequel might come out next week, maybe.

I just want to be able to connect to the story again. I am still very connected to it, but I’ve gotten really into the my newest story (I have so many ideas and plans for it whipping around in my mind); therefore, it almost feels like a chore to write for I’m Drowning.

The sequel might come out next week or the first week of July. I want to be able to commit to it, and have a good schedule for it, like I do with It’s A Christmas Miracle! 

So, uh... I’m sorry if you’re upset about that (you probably aren’t, who the hell is reading this, really). 

Just make sure to keep on checking this for updates about the sequel, and my future fanfics. 

I’m sorry again, but thank you!!

Btw, holy shit, almost 450 hits!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

 

 

*Update*

 

 

THE SEQUEL IS OFFICIALLY UP!!!

I forced my lazy, procrastinating ass to get to work, and I actually finished it! 

It’s called “It’s Still Hard To Breathe On Land,” and if you really liked this story, go check it out!! It’s going to be about Molly and her new friends and family’s lives on the surface!!

You know what that means.

Shit’s going to go down.

But there will be many a fluff, don’t worry. 

Thank you so much for reading this, byeeee!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Byeeeeee!


	25. Welcome Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s been about five months since you, Molly Dreemurr, have freed the monsters. Everything’s going pretty well. You live with Toriel, Sans lives with Papyrus, and Alphys and Undyne have already moved in with each other. 
> 
> Life is so great right now, what could go wrong...?
> 
> Anyway, you give a speech!!!
> 
> P.S. Here’s a link to the dress that Molly was wearing: https://m.jjshouse.com/A-Line-Princess-Scoop-Neck-Knee-Length-Tulle-Cocktail-Dress-With-Sequins-016094366-g94366/?utm_term=94366&utm_size=06&ggsub=pl&ggntk=g&ggcid=95017567116&ggkey=&ggpos=1o9&ggdev=m&ggdevm=&ggplm=&ggtgt=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8u74uIzJ2wIVg0CGCh26JArhEAkYCSABEgLxcPD_BwE#pageview_1530057967417
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeeey. I’ve changed a lot of things. 1. This is now in second person POV 2. The sequel is now apart of the main story. I just think it’s stupid to start over and stuff, I’d rather keep the whole story connected. So, there will be Acts in this story, and this is the beginning of the second one!!! Hope you’re all okay with these changes!! By the way, HOLY SHIT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 500 HITS!!!!! WHAT THE FUUUUCK?! I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO DAMN MUCH!!!
> 
> By the way, this chapter is NOT NEW. It’s still from last week. I just wanted to make sure that everyone read the new summary, about updates. Since I’m doing two stories, it’s hard to manage doing an update for each once a week, plus I have work and certain things going on in my life. I will NEVER stop updating these stories, but they’re just not always updated once a week anymore. I’m sorry. Expect an update next weekend, thank you!

“I can’t do this.”  

“yes, you can.”

“No, I can’t!” You raise your voice slightly, but keep it lowered enough so that the microphone on stage won’t pick it up. You pace back and forth, thankful you got this pair of flats rather than the other one you had your eye on. Those one’s had a little step... like, extra inch, you know? These ones are actually flat. It allows your footsteps to be almost silent.

“In fifth grade, I had to give a speech in front of my entire class. Only my class! At that time, I wasn’t even talking! The teacher felt so bad for me, she let me stay after school to practice speaking in front of her. I fainted before I even got a word out. She excused me from doing the speech, and my future teachers have all done the same! If I couldn’t give one lousy speech in front of one single person, than how am I going to deliver this address in front of this whole building of people?! Not to mention all the reporters with their cameras.  _Millions_  of people could be watching me.” Your grip unconsciously tightens on the thin stack of cards in your hand. You let go immediately, not wanting to dent them. You don’t even really need the cards. You’ve memorised your entire speech, front and back. 

You’re just so scared of messing up.

Your hands are sorta sweaty. Instead of running them through your hair, you just use them to pat down your dark blue dress, feeling the patterns of lace under your touch. You’re too scared to even touch your hair, which is half up/half down in a braid. You don’t want to mess that up, either. 

“then don’t think of it like that. just... imagine everyone in their underwear. that works, right?” 

“Ew, no, Sans.” You stop walking and grimace slightly at your skeleton friend before laughing, thinking about everyone out in the crowd almost naked for just a split second. “Ugh, that’s horrible.” 

“but it works, see?” He smirks. You smile at him before sighing, frowning again. If you weren’t about to give this address, you wouldn’t be so unhappy. You’d be smiling, laughing with Sans and Papyrus in the crowd, watching and listening to your monster friends and family give their speeches. 

But you have to do this.

Because you’re the ambassador of monsters. 

Papyrus and Sans were back here to support everyone. You are the last one to go on stage, and Mettaton came back here and practically dragged Papyrus to go have an interview with him (Sans literally almost started arguing with Mettaton, he does  _not_  like him). They both wished you good luck before leaving. So, for right now, Sans is your emotional support group.

“It won’t work because I’ll be too scared to look at anyone.” You catch a snippet of what Asgore is currently saying. Something about being accustomed to everything that’s going on, and something else. But, you’re too caught up in your thoughts to really listen to him right now. You’re only making sure to be listening for your name when he announces you to go on stage, which will be any minute now.

“How do  _they_  do it?” You turn towards the dark maroon curtain that’s shielding you and Sans from the stage. Toriel, Undyne, and Alphys have all already given their speeches. Toriel because she’s the ex-queen, but still technically has that line of power, Undyne because she’s the leader of the formal royal guard, which has disbanded since it is not needed anymore, and Alphys, who barely even stuttered during her speech BTW, because she’s the royal scientist. They’re all standing on stage next to Asgore (Toriel is probably the furthest away from him). 

“i dunno.” Sans shrugs, putting his right hand in his pocket. He’s wearing a white button-up dress shirt (he’s rolled-up the sleeves halfway), a black tie, black dress pants, and black leather dress shoes that Papyrus basically forced him to wear. Sans was so keen on wearing a pair of slippers or tennis shoes. Since this is such a formal event, everyone is dressed up, even Sans. So, he’s not wearing his regular blue jacket, and you can tell how awkward it is for him to not have his hands in the pockets of it. Though, he has been using the pockets of his pants, such as right now, but you can tell how uncomfortable it is for him. 

“Yeah. Me either.” You don’t know how anyone is able to go up on a stage and give a speech. It kinda makes you think of a _Game Grumps_ episode. Arin had talked about how difficult it was for him to talk to other people, but he’s gotten help, and he could go and give a speech about whatever and be fine with it, but that doesn’t make it all go away.

It’s not that easy. It’s never that easy. 

For you, it will probably never be easy. 

“-uld like to introduce to all of you our ambassador, Molly Dreemurr!” I hear Asgore announce. Applause fills the building. 

_Fuck._  

“Sans, Sans, Sans-“ You turn towards Sans and begin to say his name rapidly, almost dropping the cards from shaking so much.  

“kid, hey, hey, relax. it’s gonna be fine. you’re gonna do great.” He grabs your wrists, temporarily stopping your erratic hands. 

“No no no no, I-I can’t, I-I-I can’t do this, I sh-should’ve never a-agreed to this.”

“molly, hey. you can do this. i know you can.”

“I-“

“no. kid, listen. you’re one of the bravest people i know. if you can get through my horrible jokes everyday, you can get through ‘one lousy speech.’” He quotes you. You stare at him, and can only find sincerity in his eye-sockets.

“I... okay. Okay, I-I’m going to do it.” You take a deep breath. “Thanks, Sans.”  

“you’re welcome. now, go break a  _tibia_.” He winks. You laugh slightly.

“That... was a stretch.”

“and yet you still laughed.”

“... yep, you’re right. If I can get through that, I can do this.” You jokingly say to him before he lets go of your wrists. You turn around after almost laughing again due to his fake hurt expression, and walk to the break between the curtains. 

_I can do this._

_I can do this._

You repeat that saying in your head like a mantra as you walk on stage.  

The auditorium is gigantic. You’ve only seen it once, the one time you came here with Toriel and Asgore (that was pretty awkward, but thankfully, it wasn’t too bad) to help decide on some things. You had really appreciated them considering your opinions. Anyway, yeah, the place is gigantic, which means that there is almost a thousand people in this single area, not to mention the whole staff. The place is pretty bright, allowing you to clearly see all of the faces that are in front of you.

All of their expressions. 

Some people look happy, some look confused, some look astonished. 

You even catch a couple glimpses of, well... unhappiness. 

But everyone is clapping and cheering for you. That is really mind-blowing to you. Asgore, Toriel, Undyne, and Alphys are all also clapping for you. You smile at all of them nervously as you walk up to the podium. You notice that, in the front row and the sides of the room, are cameras. They’re all from different news stations: _ABC_ , _FOX_ , _NBC_ , even _BBC_ , and a bunch more. 

All the more people watching.

Once everyone quiets down, you begin talking.

“Thank you, King Asgore. Those were wonderful speeches, all of you.” You feel that it’s most appropriate to keep formalities when on stage and/or in public. 

You don’t want these people judging you more than they already do.

“Good evening, everyone. My name is Molly Dreemurr, but you all most likely know me as the current ambassador of monsters. I have to say that it is quite an honour to be here tonight with all of you. I am extremely grateful. About five months ago, I freed the monster race, and about five months ago, our world changed drastically. In a good way, that is. Now that the human and monster races are back together, we can all work as one nation. One world. There are so many benefits that we can gain from each other, from advancements in technology to climate control. As the ambassador of monsters, it is my duty to help ensure peace between humans and monsters, and I intend to do just that. I know that most of you don’t think that I am fit to do this job since I’m only a child, and I have to tell you that I understand your doubts. But, you must also understand that I may actually be the best choice for this position. Please, believe me when I say that I am dedicated, intelligent, and ready for whatever is thrown at me. I know that being an ambassador is quite a job, but I think that I am ready for this responsibility. And I hope that all of you are ready for your responsibilities: To be kind. To be adjusting, and understanding, and respectful. I have seen numerous reactions to the upbringing of monster kind, and I have seen people publicly and explicitly express their fears, hate, and disgust. But I am overwhelmed by the number people who have already taken on the responsibilities that I just listed. So, please, whoever you are and wherever you are...” Your eyes roam over the entire crowd, like you’ve been doing this whole time, before they flicker between all of the cameras. “I promise to handle my responsibilities, and you should, too. Together, we will make the world a much better place. Thank you.” 

By the time you say “you,” everyone begins applauding and cheering again, including your friends and family that are accompanying me in stage. In the crowd, you see Sans and Papyrus. 

You smile widely. 

 

 

*** 

 

 

“ _Hey look, Ma, I made it!_ ” 

Music plays through the overhead speakers above you, coming from the live band that is present in the building. They’re a local band, straight from NYC, called _Pieces of Paper_. It’s a pretty chill name, and although they mainly do covers, they do have an album of their own songs. You make a mental reminder to check it out later, sighing while you lean against the bar. 

Yeah. A bar. They literally made a bar in here just for this event. You swear that it was the craziest shit to witness, people building a bar in a freaking auditorium.

“Nice speech, little buddy.” Mateo (Burgerpants, for those who mainly know him by that name) compliments you as he hands you a drink: A lemonade. 

“Why, thank you, Teo.” You take a sip of the beverage. “I hate that you have to work here, instead of just being here. 

“Eh. It’s not bad. Plus, it means that I’m being paid to be here.” He shrugs. He’s dressed professionally, wearing a typical bartender outfit. He works for the company that’s providing the bar, and they chose him to host it. He’s really good, but he’s still trying to be an actor. 

You think he’s doing really well in life. 

“Hm, true.” You look away from him and towards the crowd, searching for any of your family. Sure enough, you see Asgore and Toriel talking to some human, a reporter, you think. Toriel is probably being forced to talk to the human, cause you know she would try to be away from Asgore.

She REALLY doesn’t like him, if that hasn’t made that clear.

Then you see Papyrus, Sans, Undyne, and Alphys in a group of a few humans and monsters. You see Papyrus get annoyed (Undyne also gets slightly annoyed), and due to Sans’ cheeky expression, you can tell that he just made some stupid pun. You smile slightly, trying to think of what he might have just said. 

“Why aren’t you hanging out with your family?” Mateo asks you. You look back at him, and his gaze had followed yours. You sigh again.

“I was a couple minutes ago for, um, two hours, maybe three?” It’s true. After your speech, Asgore said a few more things, and then you all left the stage, allowing the band to take your place. You had drifted around the room, talking to different monsters and humans that came tonight, and you were in a few interviews with Toriel and Asgore. You talked with basically everyone for a while, but...

It’s slowly becoming too much.

“I... I needed a break. If I’m being honest, i-it’s kinda hard to talk at all for me. So giving that speech and talking to all these people, well, it’s a little overwhelming.” You drink some more of the lemonade. Mateo nods.

“I get that. Are you okay...?” He looks at you, worried. 

“Yeah, yeah! I just need to... recharge? I guess? I’m good, don’t worry.” You smile at him, appreciative of him caring.  

Oh, and that happens a lot. 

People caring about you. 

You’re still kinda getting used to it, but you definitely don’t mind it at all.

“Well, don’t get burnt out, okay?” 

“No promises, but I’ll try. Oh, and, if I do just collapse to the ground, can you make sure that no one dances on top of me?” Teo laughs at that, causing your smile to become brighter.

“Sure thing, pal.” 

“Hey, punk!!” Undyne walks in front of you. “You gotta come and help me and Papyrus stop Sans from making any more stupid jokes!!!” 

“Ehhhhhh, I dunno. It’s not like he’s commiting any crimes or anything.” You take another sip of your lemonade. 

“Dude. He has to be breaking SOME kind of law. C’mon!” She grabs your wrist and begins dragging you away, and you’re extremely thankful that you had just set down your drink.

“Uh, okay, bye, Teo!” You quickly say, and you hear him say, “Later, Molly,” just before you’re out of earshot of him. She pulls you into the group, right next to Sans, telling you to “keep an eye on him.” You just smiled and nodded. 

“hey.” Sans greets you.

“Hi.” You cross your arms.

“so, undyne brought you here to... babysit me?” You laugh.

“Uh, sure. I’m supposed to prevent you from making any jokes.” 

“that’s kinda impossible.” He smirks. 

“I know that. I don’t really plan on stopping you.” You say, smirking right back at him as a thought pops in your head. “I mean, it’s not like I have a _bone_ to pick with you or anything.” Sans’ white pinpricks grow brighter as you both laugh.  

“MOLLY!” Papyrus and Undyne yell your name, turning towards you. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity. It won’t happen again, I swear.” You laugh out. They both shake their heads at you and turn back towards the guy who was talking. Another idea is brought to life in your head. 

_Sorry, Undyne and Papyrus._

“Hey, Sans. You know, I told Undyne that you’re not committing any crimes by telling jokes. And even if you were, the police probably wouldn’t be able to keep you as a prisoner. You know why?”

“why?” There’s a hint of anticipation in his voice.

“Yes, I would also like to know, my child.” Toriel walks over to you and Sans, a devious grin on her face. She already knows where you’re going with this. You smile even wider.

“Sure, Mom.” 

Ah, yes.

“Mom.”

Your new name for Toriel. 

Now, before the story of when you first called her “Mom” is told, something must be said.

Toriel is now your legal guardian.

See, obviously she couldn’t adopt you right away, since monsters were new and stuff. For about two months, you continued to live in the orphanage, but everyone would visit you everyday. But, once everything was finally mainly settled, as in with America and many, many other countries, monsters are now allowed to adopt.

Well. 

Children of 13 years or older. It’s too early for everyone to agree that it’s safe for monsters to take care of human children.

Horrible, racist, xenophobic motherfuckers.

But, yeah. You’re 13, so it worked out for you, thank God. It still took a week for everything to get settled, but now you live in a house together with Toriel.

It’s awesome.

Okay, so, now to how you’re calling Toriel “Mom.” 

It was a couple days after you two had moved into the house. You were going to have a housewarming party with everyone (everyone as in Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, and sometimes Asgore). You and Toriel were baking a butterscotch-cinnamon pie, and you had handed her a whisk, and when she said, “Thank you,” you replied, “No problem, Mom.” 

Yeah. No asking her if you could call her that. Just _boom_! Straight to the point! 

Needless to say, you started freaking out. 

She almost dropped the whisk, and once you realised what you had just said, yoh started to apologise. You didn’t mean to call her that, you should’ve asked her permission first, it’s too early, isn’t it?

It was a mistake. 

And it was too easy a mistake to have been made because you had begun to call her “Mom” in your head. 

She had cut you off by hugging you, saying that you could call her that if you wanted to, and she would actually love for me to call her that. 

You then thanked her: “ _Thanks, Mom._ ”

Whenever you call her “Mom,” you can see a glint of love and affection in her eyes. 

She’s the best.

Anyway. 

“The only way you can imprison a skeleton is in a _rib cage_!” The three of us burst out laughing.

“Punk, you’re literally doing the OPPOSITE of what I told you to do!” 

“SANS, LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE DONE TO THE HUMAN!” 

Sans, Toriel, and you are too busy laughing to focus on Papyrus and Undyne’s lectures.

  

 

***

 

 

“Molly.” Toriel softly says to you. You slowly open my eyes. “My child, we are home.” You yawn, getting out of the car. 

After a couple more hours, everyone left the party. You were getting so tired, that on the car ride home, you fell asleep by accident.

_God, I’m tired._

You walk into the house with Toriel. 

_I gotta go wash this make-up off. I still can’t believe Mettaton convinced me to let him put it on me._  

“I had a great time tonight. Did you?” Toriel asks you.

“Definitely.” 

“It wasn’t too much, was it?” You catch her worried glance. 

“No, no! It was... okay. I’m still getting used to all this attention and stuff, but it’s okay. Thanks. For caring.” You hug her. “I love you, Mom.”  

She hugs you back.

  

  

“I love you, too, Molly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the twenty-fifth chapter of I’m Drowning! The song mentioned this time was none! Yeah, I’m not doing that anymore. Too hard. And I’m too lazy. Talk to you over the weekend, byeeeee!!
> 
> P.S. HAPPY THREE-MONTH ANNIVERSARY TO THIS STORY!!


	26. The Human Friend Group

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back agaiN JESUS FUC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there... I guess, for me, “one week” equals “four months,” huh?
> 
> Ha... ha ha...
> 
> Oh god don’t kill me.
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

 “Oh, we haven’t even gotten to the good part, yet.”

“What.”

“Yeah, what do you- OH MY GOD.”

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“Hahaha, oh my god, you’re guys’ faces!” Michelle starts laughing wildly, almost falling off the bench.

“WHAT IS GOING ON?!” You scream.

“What the hell?!” Daniel exclaims.

“EWWWWWWW!!!” Hannah shouts. 

“NOOOOOOOO!!!” Sarah yells.

You, Michelle, and Daniel are all breathlessly laughing as the video ends, whilst Hannah has closed her eyes and Sarah has a confused and disgusted look on her face. You’re thankful that the closest teacher is pretty far away, talking to another table. 

Otherwise, they would’ve come up to your table and asked if you all were okay and/or required assistance.

“And that, my friends, was the first _Don’t Hug Me, I’m Scared_.” Michelle says once she’s stopped laughing all the way and the video’s ended. She turns her phone off and puts it away.

“Oh my god, the _first_?! As in, there’s more?! Let’s watch them all right now!” You excitedly say.

“NO!” Hannah and Sarah both yell at you. You laugh some more. 

“Yeah, that’ll have to be tomorrow.” Michelle says, ignoring Hannah and Sarah’s glares. “Cause there’s twenty minutes left, and we need to spend that time playing...” She points at Daniel, who stands up with the volleyball in his hands.

“Volleyball!” He shouts. You all laugh and leave the table, heading towards the court. 

What court, one might wonder.

Well, a whole section outside your school with a bunch of lunch tables and a whole concrete court, plus a wide open field. It’s half for gym class, half for lunch. You and your friends come outside everyone.

Ah, yes. 

Your _friends_.

That’s new.

See, before, you were mute and kinda anti-social. You were usually just staring at the ground or out the window during school. You felt pretty uncomfortable and insecure around your peers, and there were certain times where you felt so overwhelmed, you went to the bathroom and tried to calm down because you were starting to have a panic attack.

You had to go to the clinic twice.

You’re still kinda anti-social, and uncomfortable and insecure around others, and you still sometimes have those bad moments, but now you have friends who will notice your apprehensiveness and help you out. Help you calm down.

Anyway, most people and adults were nice to you, though. Teachers looked at you like you’d gone through some stuff, not like you had a mental disability. You hated their looks of pity, but you were grateful that they didn’t think you had learning issues.

How could they? You’ve never gotten a _B_ in your life. 

And most of the kids were nice, too. Some would come up to you and ask if they could borrow something, and you would simply nod and give them whatever they needed for the time being. A couple even invited you to join a certain group or meet them outside for lunch, but you always silently denied, trying to do it as politely as possible. And even when you were forced to partner with someone, they would usually ask your opinion and you would shake your head yes or no, and do what either you or they thought was best.

But that was only most kids.

Some came up to you and asked why you don’t talk. Or if you can’t talk. Usually, the teacher would hear them say that and force them to go away from you, but sometimes you weren’t that lucky. They would keep on asking you, even when you tried to write down “ _Please stop_ ” on a piece of paper. They would start yelling at you, telling you to speak, telling you that it’s not nice to ignore people. Then you would try to walk away, but they wouldn’t let you off that easily.

You’d have to go to the clinic after those moments, too.

That was only when you were outside or you were in gym, where teachers were either too far away, not paying that much attention, or were trying to control something else. 

And then there were people who would whisper when you walked past them in the halls, or when they saw you in class.

_“Look, it’s that one girl. Wonder why she never talks._

_“What’s even wrong with her?”_

_“I think she’s retarded.”_  

_“Isn’t she an orphan? Bet her parents gave her up ‘cause of how much of a freak she is.”_  

Those ones, ones about why you ar- _were_ an orphan hurt the most. 

But now it’s different.

Now you’re talking.

Now you’re a little bit more comfortable with others thanks to support from your new family. 

Now you’re the ambassador of monsters. 

You were so busy with so many different political affairs that you went back to school three weeks after you left the Underground. And by then, every single person, kid and adult, knew who were, knew that you were talking, and knew what you did. 

It was kinda the same at the beginning of the first day. People whispering about you. 

But this time, they said different things.

“ _It’s the girl from the news!_ ”

“ _She’s the one who freed the monsters._ ”

“ _She’s the ambassador now._ ”

“ _She used to not even talk! Now she’s, like, important._ ”

After an hour or two, multiple kids would come up to you. They would ask you what the Underground was like, what it’s like to be an ambassador, how all the different continents were (you had go to sign different peace treaties). You happily answered their questions, causing them to keep on asking them until the teacher made them be quiet. 

You were the thing that everyone was talking about.

And then, you had left your fourth period, and were on your way to lunch. You were really nervous. First lunch since leaving. You usually went to some teacher’s room and did homework, so you had been thinking of doing that. But, a couple kids had asked you to sit at their tables, wanting to know more about monsters and being an ambassador. 

So you had walked into the lunch room. 

You had scanned all the tables, seeing all too familiar faces. Ones that used to stare at you out of curiosity and pity and disgust. Ones that now asked you to sit at their tables, asking you to tell that one story you told in class.

It was _really_ overwhelming.

The day was only halfway over, and you were already feeling like you wanted to leave. Everyone wanted to talk to you, you weren’t used to the attention, you still aren’t.

That was when Michelle and Sarah asked you to go outside with them and their friends.

You immediately said yes, apologising to your other classmates, and saying that you’ll talk to them later. Fortunately, none of them got angry at you.

See, you said yes to Michelle and Sarah because they were different than everyone else. 

Before, they were some of the few people that invited you to stuff. They’re the type of people that were outgoing towards the new kids, or the ones who were lonely, so they tried to invite you to stuff, but you just couldn’t say yes. And, yeah, you did have classes with them, and they had been some of the many kids who had asked you some questions, but they asked you, “ _How about you come sit at our table? We need another player for volleyball._ ”

It wasn’t come tell about this or tell us a story about that. 

They wanted _you_.

You gratefully walked with them to their half-full table, thanking them. They said that they had noticed how uncomfortable you had looked and you needed saving. You laughed at that before sitting down with them.

And now, that small lunch table are your closest friends in school. 

First, there’s Michelle. She’s a little shorter than you, with very light skin and natural long, wavy, blonde hair and light green eyes. Her family is pretty religious, so she’s not the type of middle schooler who curses a lot, but if she is really angry, she might throw around a couple harsh words. She’s mainly the gossiper of the group, and though you all will tell stories about weird and/or funny stuff that happened in class, she is somehow able to know about everything that goes on in school. She doesn’t really care that much about school, and, yet, she does really well. And, she’s on the volleyball team. 

Next is Sarah. She’s a bit taller than you, with light skin and long, light, straight, brown hair and brown eyes. She wears rectangular glasses and just got her braces off, but even before that, she was one of the prettiest girls in school, just like Michelle. Sarah is a big ol’ science nerd! She’s won first place multiple times in the science fair and dreams of becoming a marine biologist or an engineer. She loves Vines, and although she’s not very athletic, she does enjoy playing volleyball.

Then there’s Han and Dan. Or, Hannah and Daniel: The only boy/girl set of twins in the school. They both have olive skin, with Hannah having freckles and Daniel having none. Hannah has short, straight, dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, whilst Daniel has wavy, dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. They’re both the same height as you. They’re the most childish people of the group. They will literally hit each other, but they’ve never gotten into an actual fight before. They’re hilarious to be around, basically the life of the party. They’re also just about the most popular kids in the entire school. They moved to New York last year, and it was just so easy for everyone to like them. Plus, Daniel is one of the only openly gay kids in school, so that brought him and Hannah a lot of attention. He really is a GBF, and Hannah is like everyone’s sister in a weird, but awesome way. 

You can clearly see the types of social hierarchies in school: The popular ones, the popular nerds, the emos, the athletes, the athletic nerds, the geeks, the goths, the artists, the delinquents. 

But your group is a mix of all of them. 

You would call your group: The median. A mix of everything; therefore, friendly and on good terms with mainly everyone.

Yeah, there are definitely certain people in this school that your friends could live without, that say stuff behind your friends’ backs, that if your friends had the chance, they would kick certain people’s asses, but they aren’t like that. They’re not the confrontational kind, they just steal a couple glances from the person they despise, and that’s it. 

You think that that’s awesome of them.

Of course, now, after a couple of months, you’re friends with a lot of people. Sure, there are some that you can tell still don’t like you at all, but you don’t care about them. You care about the people that like you. You have some friends that you’re starting to get really close with, but...

You will always hang out with Sarah, Michelle, Hannah, and Daniel every chance you get. 

Speaking of which... 

“Yeah!!! Go Molly!!!” Hannah compliments you before high-fiving you. You just earned a point for your side. Or, well, the ball dropped to the ground on the other side. You guys don’t keep score, you only play for fun.

And fun it is. Very, very much. 

Michelle is the only experienced one, since she’s now been on the volleyball team for two years. But, Daniel and Hannah practice a lot and are pretty good, and even though Sarah is still learning, she’s also good.

You don’t feel like you’re that good. 

“Molly, seriously, you should join the team!” Michelle says to you from the other side of the net as one of the boys playing basketball throws Daniel the ball back.

“Elle, I told you, no. I’m not that good, if anything Hannah and Sarah should be on the team. And, it’s too late. The season’s already started.” 

“Yeah, but we haven’t had our first game yet. That’s in two weeks. You still have time to try out!” 

“That wouldn’t be very fair, though.”

“Everyone makes the team, remember? Coach doesn’t like doing cuts in middle school. It would be fine if you asked to join.” After a minute, the ball is dropped again. Hannah takes the ball and backs up, going to serve. You cheer her on before replying again to Michelle.

“Dude. I have enough issues with people. You really think I wanna go out on a court and play in front of a bunch of-“ You pause, hitting the ball, “people?! Uh, no! I’d die out there from pressure and judgement!”

“It’s not that bad!” Michelle pleads. 

“Michelle’s right, Molly.” Daniel says before hitting the ball. “You’re too good to only be playing during lunch. You’re wasting that _taaalllleeennnttt_.” He sing-songs, trying to sound as sweet as possible to convince you.

“Seriously.” Sarah adds in.

“Guys, I really appreciate it, I really, _really_ do, but it’s not gonna happen. I’m not that good, and there’s no way I could ever play in a game without freaking out. Why don’t you ever bug Hannah about this kind of stuff? She’s really good, and she’s not on the team!” You attempt to get the stoplight off of you.

“I would be, but I have dance class after school. Remember?” Hannah asks you, throwing the spotlight right back at your face. 

“Oh, yeah. I forgot.” You quietly say. 

“You really should be on the team, Molly. And by the way you play, you’d probably be on varsity with Michelle.” Hannah continues, seemingly turning up the brightness on the metaphorical spotlight.

“Nope.” You immediately quip, wanting this conversation to stop or shift or _something_.

Sarah throws the ball over the net to you. You catch it and back up, getting ready to serve. 

You’re too busy focusing on hitting the ball that you didn’t see Michelle and Hannah exchange a few mischievous glances between each other.

 

 

***

  

 

“Molly, can I talk to you for a moment?”

You stop walking, turning towards Ms. Lobry. The last bell of the day rang a few minutes ago, so you just left class, went to your locker, grabbed all your stuff, and met up with your friends. You were all walking towards the front door, where you would all leave together besides Michelle, who would go downstairs to the gym for volleyball practice, when Ms. Lobry stopped you.

She’s also Coach Lobry, one of the gym teachers and coach of the volleyball team.

“Uh, yeah. I’ll talk to you guys later.” You slowly speak to your friends, possible explanations of why Ms. Lobry wants to talk to you running around your head. Sarah, Hannah, and Daniel widely smile at you, nodding their heads and saying their goodbyes before leaving. 

_Why did they just smile at me like that???_

“I’ll talk to you later, Molly. And I’ll see you in a few minutes, Coach Lobry.” Michelle tells you and the tall woman before going downstairs.

“Am I... in trouble...?” You worriedly ask Ms. Lobry, getting a laugh out of her. 

“Of course not! I wanted to talk to you about volleyball.” She smiles brightly at you. 

“Excuse me?” You confusedly ask as nicely as possible, but still a little rude (on accident!). Why would she want to talk to you about this??

“Well, Michelle and Hannah have told me very good things about you during gym. Mainly about how well you play volleyball.” Your grip on the straps of your backpack tighten, and it takes all your strength to not glare. 

Oh. _That’s_ why. 

_Goddammit, Michelle. I already know that this must’ve been your idea._  

“Oh, y-you must know how those two are by now. They totally d-don’t kn-“

“And I have to say I agree with them.” Ms. Lobry cuts your stuttering excuse off. “I have been outside a couple times during lunch and have seen you play. You are quite good, especially for someone who has never really played. Tell me, _have_ you ever played before?” You open your mouth, not immediately speaking due to the coach’s bluntness.

“Uh... no, ma’am.” You finally croak out. 

“Hmph. So you really are a natural. Tomorrow we’ll decide which team you’ll be on. Practice is everyday, and goes until five. Please dress appropriately.” And with that, she goes down the stairs.  

“But wait, I didn’t...” You trail off, Ms. Lobry already down the stairs before you’re able to tell her about you not even agreeing to playing. You watch her walk across the cafeteria, standing dumbfounded.

_What the hell just happened?!_

After a few more moments of acclimation— _somewhat_ acclimation—you begin to slowly walk away, getting your phone out once you open the one of the doors and exit the building. You immediately text Michelle.

_You:_

_YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE WHEN YOU LEAVE VOLLEYBALL PRACTICE_

Then, you text Hannah.

_You:_

_what. is. wrong. with. you._

You put your phone away, not expecting an immediate text back from Hannah since she and Daniel are probably now getting onto the bus. 

Besides, you are also busy now because you are now focused on two of your friends.

Or, BFFs. 

“MOLLY! HOW WAS YOUR DAY AT SCHOOL?” Papyrus greets you as you walk up to him and Undyne in the parking lot. They both smile widely at you. Usually, it’s pretty random who comes and picks you up from school since Toriel is a teacher at the monster school in New York (it’s only monsters in that school for right now, soon, after a while and most people are used to monsters, there will be monster and human schools) and it’s longer than your middle school. But, you had known that Papyrus and Undyne were going to pick you up today because the three of you have plans for “quality BFF time” at the mall. 

“Oh, it was... interesting.” You say, unknowing of what exactly your answer should be. Plus, your mind is still on what just happened!

_How do I tell them that I’m on the volleyball team now????_

“H-how was your guys’ day?” You ask them, changing the subject. 

“It was AWESOME!” Undyne says, hooking an arms around Papyrus’ neck and beaming proudly. “We sparred and you should’ve been there punk. Papyrus did this SUPER COOL move! He...” Undyne goes on, perfectly describing the epic sparring match between her and Papyrus. The sun sparkles perfectly onto your face, lightly flushing your face and feeling wonderful.

It’s moments like these that you wish would never end.

  

 

***

 

 

_Flush!_

The toilet flushes loudly whilst you turn around, about to open the door that is between you and the sinks. 

You’re currently in the bathroom at the local mall. You’ve been here (the mall, not the bathroom) for about an hour with Papyrus and Undyne. It’s been awesome! The three of you have gone into many stores and tried on clothes and looked at different things, it’s jut been really fun. A nice, friendly, well, best friendly...? Sure, best friendly time. 

Ha, that’s fun to say.

Anyway, you’re about to leave, but you suddenly hear the door to the bathrooms open. It sounds like two people. You decide to stay in the stall, thinking that it’d probably be easier to wait for them to go since they haven’t gone into any stalls right away. They’re probably just fixing their make-up or something. 

Yeah. It’s easier to just avoid people. 

They seem to be having a conversation about a store, and even though it’s not too personal or anything, you feel sort of bad for eavesdropping. You obviously don’t mean to, but you can’t do really anything about it. You sigh and stand silently, trying your best to patiently wait for the pair to leave. 

“And I still can’t believe that there were those two monsters!” One of the girls says, her voice high and nasally.

You freeze.

Well, you were already frozen before, but your muscles tense and your breathing stops. 

“I know! So fucking disgusting!” The other one says, her voice a little lower with a New Jersey accent.

They’re talking about Papyrus and Undyne.

You already know that they are. They had been talking about a decorating store, the one Papyrus and Undyne had told you that they would be waiting for you in. 

“Someone has to do something about those freaks.”

“Yeah, like our goddamn president. I mean, what the hell, why is he so okay with this?!” 

It had been a blessing for President Trump to not immediately declare war with monster kind.

You had been so scared. 

He’s... trying to show how he’s good, or something, you think. So, he’s “allowing” them to live in peace up here in America. Of course, there are still certain restrictions, but they aren’t too bad, and you know that, one day, they will be gone. 

“Hell if I know.”

You can’t believe this, you just can’t _fucking_ believe this. Not only are these two insulting your friends, your _best_ friends, _your_ _family_ , they’re insulting _all monsters_. Yes, of course you have seen the hate online and on TV and in school, but you have yet to actually hear people in real life talk so maliciously. 

It makes you feel horrible. 

“It’s not fair.” 

“I know... this is all that girl’s fault.”

Your eyes bulge so much, it feels as if you almost pushed them out of your skull. 

“The ambassador, or whatever she’s called. What the fuck is her problem.”

“She’s a traitor to her own kind! You’d think she’s being held hostage by them or something. Like, where’s her fucking family?!”

_Stop._  

“I’ve heard that she’s an orphan.”

You wish that you could tell them to shut the hell up. 

“Pffft, oh my god!” The Jersey one burst out laughing, cackling _too_ similarly to a witch. “Well, no wonder she’s an orphan! Her parents knew she was fucked-up from the start!” 

_No._

“Ha, I can believe it.” 

“Oh my god... do you think... do you think she fucks them?” The mouse-sounding one slowly and quietly states, as if they _know_ that you’re hear and they’re just trying to _mess_ with you.

“What, monsters?!”

This time, they both burst out laughing, wickedly and derisively, like the witches from that one movie, _Hocus Pocus_.

_Stop, please._

_“You can’t protect her forever, you know.”_

“Isn’t she, like, thirteen?”

_“Can and will.”_

“So? Remember Stacy? She lost her virginity at fourteen.”

_“Agh!”_

“True. God, how would that even work? I’m sure that most of them don’t even have dicks!”

_“No! Don’t hurt him!”_

“Ew, I don’t know, but that’s gross to think about.”

_“Molly!”_

“I bet she’s a whore.”

_“You stupid fucking bitch!”_

“Ha, totally.”

_“Stop!”_

_S T O P._

White spots flash before your eyes, and it feels as if something inside of you just _snaps_. You try to focus, but you can’t. 

Especially due to two loud screams. 

Your hands burn, but not “burn” as in they hurt, “burn” as in they’re really hot and it almost feels as if soft sparks are bouncing on them. And the atmosphere feels different. Thicker, almost like something is crackling or sparking. 

“What the _fuck_?!” 

“Ugh, this is just _great_!” 

The two girls say some other things, but you don’t know what. Their voices are muffled, and there’s a ringing in your head. It feels like your heart is racing. Both of your hands are in fists. You’re thankful you jut cut your nails, or else it would be painful. 

“Let’s just get out of here.” The nasally ones voice cuts through all the noise. The ringing in your head slightly fades, along with the muffled aspect of the girls’ voices. You’re able to hear footsteps and a door open before they both go away completely. The two girls must’ve left.  

_Good._  

You begin to feel something touch your shoes. 

A liquid.

_A dark, red liquid, the smell of metal and copper filling the air. You want to throw up. But you can’t leave him. You just can’t, you-_

You sharply inhale through your nose, tightly closing your eyes and slamming one of your closed fists into the side of the stall. 

_Stop, stop, stop, it’s fine. It’s fine, you’re not there, you’re not there, you’re safe._

You slowly opens your eyes and look down. 

It’s not blood. 

It’s just water.

You bring your arms to your sides, opening them. Then, you hesitantly open the door.

_Oh shit._

One of the faucets has been stripped off of the top of the pipe it was connected to. Instead, it’s on its side. 

There’s water everywhere. 

Fortunately, the water isn’t being shot out of the pipe. It probably was before, hopefully soaking this wretched girls; instead, it’s leaking slowly from the top. But, now, there’s a giant puddle on the floor. 

_Did... did I do this?_

You look down at your hands. They no longer burn, only a faint tingling sensation is left. And the atmosphere feels... clearer. 

You must have...

It must have been your magic. 

Oh yes, your magic.

The magic you have yet to tell anyone about. 

Even after these past months of being with everyone, you’re still reluctant to tell them about your magic, or whatever it is. You can’t seem to find the right moment. 

Plus, you discovered your magic during your fight with Asriel—Toriel and Asgore’s dead(ish) son. No one remembers any of that except for you, so, what, are you supposed to mention that?

No.

You could _never_ tell them about _that_. 

But then how can you tell them about your magic?

“Oh, and by the way, I have magic, just like you guys!”

Nope.

So, you’re waiting for that perfect moment to tell them about it. In the meantime, it’s a secret. 

You haven’t really been practicing it or anything so far.

You usually forget about it, unless you stare at some object, thinking, “If only I could just pick you up with my mind,” and then remembering that you probably _can_ do that. 

Plus, it’s really easy to forget about it since you don’t use it due to it being a secret, and you’re usually too busy to even be thinking about anything like that. 

Though, sometimes, when you’re sparring with Undyne and Papyrus, for just a split second, you get worried that you might not be able to control your magic since you’re in a fight, and you’ll somehow accidentally use it.

But you haven’t had a... a _burst_ like this, _nothing_ like this. 

You take a couple of deep breaths, forcing yourself to truly calm down. You’re adrenaline dissipates, allowing a throbbing pain in your hand to appear. It’s because you had slammed it into the wall, but it’s fine.

Actually, nothing about this situation is “fine” or “okay,” but.. 

It’ll all be okay eventually.

You quickly wash your hands with the good sink and leave the bathroom, realising that someone could be on their way to come and fix the broken sink. You quickly and non-suspiciously (hopefully) make your way to the store that Papyrus and Undyne are in.  

You relax a bit once you walk up to them. Being around your friends always makes you feel safer. 

“AH, MOLLY, YOU’RE BACK!” Papyrus exclaims when he notices you. Him and Undyne turn away from a small statue of some animal. “DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A STORE HERE THAT SHARES MY NAME?” 

“Uh... no?” Your mind is still a little fuzzy, so it’s kinda hard to focus. You mainly understood what Papyrus just asked you.

“Yeah, we saw it upstairs, and we were waiting for you to come back before we went! I bet it’s AWESOME if it’s named after Papyrus!” Undyne elaborates enthusiastically. 

_Ohhhhh_. You know what they’re talking about now. It’s a store that has stuff from the greeting card brand, _Papyrus_. You’ve never really seen a reason to go in there, but you’re sure that’s it’s not just birthday and holiday cards.

“Oh, yeah. Sounds good.” You give them a small smile, trying to return to your previous good mood.

“GREAT! LET’S GO!” Papyrus instantly grabs your and Undyne’s hands, pulling all of you out of the store. Undyne laughs and you do, too, or, at least, you try to.

_Let’s hope I don’t see those girls again..._

 

 

***

 

 

You didn’t see the girls again, thank God.

Well, at least, you think you didn’t. You didn’t see two girls who had wet shirts, or ones who gave you and your friends dirty looks or anything. 

There were a couple of people who did that, but you guys ignored them. Mostly everyone was okay, and no one was like, “You’re not allowed in my store,” or anything bat-shit crazy like that. That has yet to happen. Or, yet to happen with you around.

Wait.

Have your friends been rejected from a store just because they wore a monster? 

Ugh, what are you saying?

OF COURSE THEY HAVE. 

THERE ARE REALLY GREAT PEOPLE IN THIS DAY AND AGE, BUT THE BAD ONES ARE LITERAL GARBAGE.

And, plus, that was one of Trump’s “guidelines.” Anyone store owner, or whatever they’re called, has the right to not serve monsters.

For now.

That definitely pissed you off, but you knew that racists and bigots would go crazy and start protesting even worse then they already are if he hadn’t done that. You’ve only seen a few stores do that, but, hey, this is New York! This place is extremely fucking diverse and accepting, so any store that is against monsters was already shit anyway.  

You’ve never really talked about it with them, with your family or even other monsters. 

Should you be? 

Yes, oh god, you probably should be. You’re the ambassador. OF MONSTERS. You should be talking to them and asking them certain things and be more considerate of their feelings and opinions.  

Goddammit, you knew it, you _knew_ you weren’t ready to do this kind of thing, and you’re not. You’re the most inconsiderate, selfish, uncaring person that is undeserving of this title and friends and a family and anyone who gives a shit about you and-

“Molly? Uh... you good?” 

You stop walking and snap your head upwards at your tall, red-headed friend. You glance between her and Papyrus, who have also stopped walking, noticing their slightly worried expressions. 

Oops.

The three of you have finished your adventure in the mall, and are currently walking out of it. You hadn’t realised that you were spacing out. They probably said something and you didn’t hear them. 

“What? Oh, uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m good.” You say guiltily, feeling bad for have been momentarily ignoring them. 

“ARE YOU SURE? YOU’VE BEEN ACTING STRANGELY DURING THE LAST HOUR!” Papyrus points out, causing you to realise how much worse you’ve gotten lately at hiding your emotions.

You’re reaction should be questioning Papyrus about what he means by “strangely,” but you are conscious of your recent behaviour. Ever since you came back from the bathroom, you’ve been quieter, less energetic, and spacing off way too much. 

“It’s nothing. Seriously.” You don’t deny nor confirm Papyrus’ question, only trying to shrug off their concerns, but it backfires in your stupid face, seeming to only concern them even _more_.

“IT IS OBVIOUSLY NOT ‘NOTHING!’” Papyrus seems a little annoyed. Of course he would be irritated, since he’s such a good friend and everything. You instantly feel bad for attempting to lie to him and Undyne. 

“Yeah, punk. What’s gotten under your skin?” Undyne questions you, a little bit more serious this time.

You’re silent for a moment, staring at your two friends. 

No, _best_ friends. 

No, _family members._  

They’re not monsters, as in evil and cunning creatures. Just because that’s what their race is doesn’t mean they’re bad. 

They’re good. Kind. Caring. 

Better than most humans. All monsters are like that. Always welcoming everyone with open arms, like how they did with you despite having such great reasons to hate humans.

They’re not gross.

They’re not freaks.

They don’t deserve this shit from humans. 

“Well, uh...” You begin to speak, but immediately want to lie again. They shouldn’t know about this, right? You need to try to protect them from hate, not expose them to it.

But that’s not the right thing to do. 

That’s like trying to protect your kid from bullying or any kind of insult that’s thrown their way. 

It’s not possible.

Hate is everywhere.

No matter who you are, who or what you believe in or love. 

Hate is inescapable.

“When I was in the bathroom, I heard some girls talking about... about monsters. They weren’t saying the nicest things.” You don't mention the part where they talked about you, thinking that Undyne might want to go and beat them up. Your magic outburst is also bothering you, but you’re obviously not about to tell them about that. “Sorry, i-it’s stupid. I shouldn’t have let it get to me.” You push a piece of hair behind your ear.

“Hey. It’s not stupid.” Undyne immediately says, seemingly unfazed, along with Papyrus.

“But it is! This is why I didn’t want to say anything!” You say a little to loudly. You immediately realise it and lower your voice. “You guys have told me before how you deal with this kind of stuff at least once a week, and yet I hear someone make one rude comment and I can’t even handle it.”

_It’s embarrassing how weak I am._  

“Look, I...” You sigh. “I do- _wouldn’t_ care about them saying anything about me. But when people talk about you guys, it makes me so upset that I can’t do anything about it.” 

“You can always fight them!” Undyne suggests.

“UNDYNE!” Papyrus immediately scolds her. 

“What? You can!” 

“VIOLENCE IS NEVER THE ANSWER!” Papyrus says sternly. “MOLLY, YOU KNOW THAT IT IS NOT YOUR JOB TO PROTECT US.” He then says, looking back at you.

“I-I don’t know, Paps. I’m the ambassador of monsters. It... it’s kinda my job...?” You rub the back of your neck sheepishly.

“THAT’S DIFFERENT. IT IS ONLY YOUR JOB TO PROTECT US WHEN YOU ARE WORKING AS THE AMBASSADOR. AND I KNOW THAT YOU MIGHT THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO ALWAYS BE LIKE AN AMBASSADOR, BUT YOU CANNOT DO THAT. MOLLY, YOU CANNOT PROTECT US FROM EVERYTHING. PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT.” Papyrus thoroughly explains, trying to convince you. It sort of works.

“But... it’s not just that, me being the ambassador and all. You guys are like...” You look away.

_Family._

“The best friends anyone could ever ask for.” You think family might be too broad. They might think that you’re weird and clingy for thinking that way. “All of you are. How could I _not_ want to protect you?”

“We understand that, kid. That’s kinda how I felt about the royal guard. And Alphys and Asgore, and this nerd and his brother!” Undyne puts an arm around Papyrus, grinning proudly. “But, sometimes...” Her grin loses its spunk a little bit, and in her eye you can see something... like a bad memory. “There’s just nothing you can do. It’s completely out of your hands. No matter how much you want to control it!” 

“Woah...” You stare back at Undyne, a little in awe. “That... that was pretty deep, Undyne.” 

“Well, yeah! I’m not _all_ brawn!” Undyne pridefully replies, taking her arm off of Papyrus and flexing a little bit. You smile, chuckling.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW, MOLLY?” Papyrus asks.

“Yeah, I think I do.” You say, slowly nodding your head. You can’t stop everyone in the world from having their own opinion. It’s not even theoretically conceivable, only possible if someone was somehow able to build a machine to do so. “You guys are, like, super smart, you know that?” 

“WELL, OF COURSE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS BRILLIANT JUST LIKE HIS PUZZLES!” Papyrus innocently boasts, smiling pridefully. You giggle at his sheer happiness. 

“Pfffft, ya nerd!” Undyne mischievously smiles before wrapping her arm around Papyrus again and noogying him.

“NYEH! PLEASE DON’T NOOGIE THE SKELETON!” Papyrus exclaims. Now you’re full on laughing. 

After Undyne lets go of Papyrus and ruffles your hair, saying “you’re no exception,” you all walk out of the mall. 

“Wanna race?” Undyne asks you and Papyrus. You quirk an eyebrow at her.

“Uh, what?” 

“First one to the car wins!” Undyne succinctly explains.

“THE GREAT PAPYRUS NEVER BACKS DOWN FROM A CHALLENGE!” Papyrus states. You look between the two of them, your smile reflecting theirs. 

“Okay. You’re on.” You accept, a hint of confidence in your voice.

“Ready, set...” Undyne counts down. “Go!” 

The three of you take off, sprinting all the way to the car. 

It was a three-way tie, but you all couldn’t have been happier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. 
> 
> I’m officially not dead anymore.
> 
> I’d like to sincerely apologise. So many things happened after I posted the last chapter. I moved, which took forever, and then, before I knew it, it was school, and I was having one of the worst writer’s blocks of my life cause I kept on thinking and writing other things, and I felt so tired, emotionally and physically...
> 
> But I’m better! 
> 
> Everything is now under control, and I can finally get back to writing BOTH of my stories! Like I said before, updates will not be once a week, maybe every other week, or at least once a month, depending on the situation. Either way, I am NOT going to allow this to happens again.
> 
> Once more, I apologise, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you!!!


	27. Just Your Typical Day For Your Typical Thirteen Year-Old Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pssssssst... I’m being kinda sarcastic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHA YES I FUCKING DID IT HAHAHAHA
> 
>  
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

_There’s someone in front of you._  

_Besides them, there’s nothing else. Just darkness._

_They’re about your height. Their hair is light brown, neatly cut in a bob. They’re wearing a green sweater with a yellow stripe, with brown shorts and boots. They begin to turn around, but before you see their face, there’s a flash of white._

_There’s Asgore. He’s wearing his old king clothes. He’s talking to you, but you can’t hear his voice. In fact, you can’t here anything. Just pure silence, with incomprehensible whispers here and there. Asgore’s soul is out. You remember this. This was during your fight with him._

_... but, something’s not right._

_You all at once notice that he looks physically hurt and tired. You don’t remember this._

_Once Asgore stops talking, he smiles at you._

_Then small, white seeds surround his soul and stab into it, the final blow to his now cracked soul. Asgore crumbles to dust right before your eyes._

_Flowey emerges from the ground._

_There’s a flash of white._

_Now you’re in the golden hall with large windows, where you once confessed one of your deepest secrets to Sans._

_But this is different._

_Sans doesn’t look worried or concerned..._

_He looks_ angry _._

_“Do you remember this?” Another version of yourself appears next to Sans, staring intently at him. Her skin is paler, purple under her eyes. She’s not wearing the clothes you wore when you first came to the Underground. Instead, she’s wearing a shirt with white and navy stripes and flower patterns on the shoulders, ripped jeans, and black Nike running shoes that are covered in dust and blood. There are cuts and and bruises all over her skin. She sounds tired, her tone monotone, almost lacking all emotion._

_“Remember what?” You ask._

_“Being here.” The other you smoothly replies. “With him.”_

_“Of course I do. This was when Sans... Sans convinced me to not...” You trail off. You’d rather not think about your previous plan, the one where you were going to sacrifice yourself and give Asgore your soul._

_“Wrong one.” The other you suddenly appears next to you. You turn towards her, looking into her glassy eyes._

_“Wrong one?” You echo._

_“Yes. Wrong one. God, I wish you hadn’t had done that.” She crosses her arms, irritated._

_“Done what?” You ask._

_“_ That _.” She emphasises, but you still have no idea what she’s talking about. “Then you wouldn’t have to try and remember.”_

_“But... I_ do _remember.” You clarify. What does this other version of you mean?_

_“No, you don’t. Look, you need to remember.” Her tone is very serious, how you hope that you sound when you are working as the ambassador._

_“But, how will I remember something I don’t know about?” This all makes no sense to you._

_“Because, the answer’s right in front of you.”_

_“What?”_

_Suddenly, the other you pushes you to the ground. You quickly land on the tile hard, almost hard enough to cause your head to bleed. Without somehow feeling any pain, you instantly sit up._

_The other you is now standing where you were. It looks like she’s gripping something in her right hand, but you can’t see anything._

_You look up at her face._

_Her eyes..._

_They’re..._ red _._

_“It’s right in front of you!” She turns to you and screams, her piercing, bright red eyes meeting with your dark, calming green ones._  

You open your eyes. 

It takes a few moments for you to fully realise you’re awake. Once you do, you turn off your alarm, silencing Ariana Grande’s new song, “Thank U, Next.” You glance at the time as you do so. It’s 6:00 A.M.

Time to go to school. 

You sigh and stand up, stretching your arms. Then, you rub your eyes, and when you do, a pair of red eyes flash in your mind.

You move your hands away from your face. The contents of your dream run around your mind. As you wonder what the other version of you possibly meant when she told you that the answer (to what, you don’t know) is right in front of you, the slowly brightening light slips through the space between the curtains of your window. 

You sigh again and shrug. Like most of your dreams, this recent one most likely didn’t mean anything.

Yeah. 

It didn’t mean anything.

 

 

***

  

 

“Bye, Mom!” You joyfully leave the car, parting from Toriel as she says goodbye to you, too. She drives away, only having to travel a few more miles over to the school for monsters.

Ugh, you can’t _wait_ until monsters can go to any school.

Gripping onto one of the straps of your backpack, you walk into your school and go down the stairs. 

_Right in front of me? Was she just talking about herself?_

Your eyebrows furrow a bit as you think about your dream from last night. You just can’t seem to get it out of your head.

This dream was definitely different from your nonsense dreams, like the one where you woke up in bed and your phone was ringing, except it was a banana, and then your bed was just a giant raft about to go down a waterfall.  

Dreams are weird, huh?

Instead, this dream is (or at least feels) like your usual nightmares, the ones where you’re reliving something you wish you could forget. 

But that’s not possible with this dream, because none of that stuff could’ve possibly happened. There’s no way you actually fought Asgore, there’s no way Flowey killed him, there’s no way Sans had been angry at you about something that day, there’s no way you’ve red eyes like that, and there’s definitely no way that kid is real. You’ve never seen them before in your life! 

Speaking of Flowey, you haven’t even thought about him in a while. Or, well, Asriel. You don’t ever have dreams or nightmares containing either of them, but that doesn’t mean that they haven’t crept into your thoughts.

Anyway, that dream was probably pointless, but something about it won’t allow you to just simply shake it off. 

“Hey, babe.” Michelle walks up next to you, breaking you out of your haze.  You flush a bit at the nickname (she always says stupid stuff like that to everyone.) 

“Hey, Elle.” You greet her back. You and Michelle are always the first ones of the group to come to school in the morning. You both walk across the cafeteria and exit through a pair of doors, heading towards the court and outside area where all eighth graders have to go, while sixth graders stay in the cafeteria, and seventh graders go to the gym. You’re grateful to go to outside, since it allows you and your friends to play volleyball in the morning. 

“So, I’ve got some tea to spill.” Michelle breaks the comfortable silence, sounding confident and somewhat giddy about whatever information she has somehow learned. A light breeze pushes a few strands of hair in your face. You push them behind your ear.

“Pffffft.” You snort at her statement. “Oh, really?” 

“Really.” She confirms, sounding suspiciously excited of what she has to tell you.

“Well, spill away.” You and Michelle walks up the trail to the court in sync.

“Okay, so, I heard from Janie, who apparently was told by Leo, that Finn Rivers has a _huge_ crush on you!” She elbows you in the side playfully, smiling almost proudly at you. A strong heat rises to your cheeks as you look away from Michelle. 

Ah, Finn Rivers.

The boy that probably every girl, and possibly some boys, like. 

He’s new this year, recently moving all the way from California. Right away, he was popular, what with his nearly perfect tan skin, light blond hair, enticing and deep brown eyes, and smooth voice. 

That’s probably why most people like him: his looks. 

But you actually think he’s cool because of his personality.

He was told all about you from his new best friends (Leo Zush and Caleb Gryte), how you used to be “awkward and quiet” but now you’re “important and not as awkward.” Those two boys were just some of the people who used to be mean to you, now not as much (but kinda, still). 

And, sure, Finn didn’t know who you were before, so anyone could’ve have literally told him anything about you to make him hate you, but...

He doesn’t.

You have three classes with him, and you and him actually talk a lot. He super funny, his humour is just like yours, and he’s nice and selfless. He didn’t even want to celebrate his birthday just because he didn’t want people to buy him stuff!! Except, his friends threw him a big surprise party. That was while you were gone, though.

So, you guess that you do like him, but just as a friend. 

Yeah. Just as friends... 

Right?

“Yeah, right.” You shrug off Michelle’s statement. “Like he would ever like me...” You mutter under your breath, but Michelle hears you perfectly due to the silence around you two.

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Michelle interrogates you, right away knowing what you mean. But, before she can lecture you (like she usually does), Hannah, Daniel, and Sarah call out your names and catch up to you and Michelle on the court. The subject immediately changes to how Sarah took a Buzzfeed quiz and got the _funniest_ result.

A couple minutes later, when you and your friends are playing volleyball, Sarah elbows you in your side. You look over at her and she nods towards someone. You turn and see Finn, who’s smiling at you.

“He was _totally_ staring at you.” Sarah whispers to you. You blush slightly and smile back at him.

“I SHIP IT!” Michelle yells loudly, causing Hannah, Daniel, Sarah, and even you and Finn to laugh, though you think that, for a second, you saw a glint of hope in his eyes.

And maybe, _just_ maybe...

He saw the same one in yours.

 

 

*** 

 

 

“So, we’re thinking of just throwing it at our house.” Hannah begins to explain, talking about her and Daniel’s birthday party this weekend. “Yeah, we’re pretty sure it’s big enough for everyone that we’re inviting.” Daniel adds. 

“Oh, yeah? And who’s that, half the school?” Sarah jokes before taking a bite of her sandwich. You, Sarah, and Michelle are all very aware of the popularity and attention Hannah and Daniel have gained ever since they moved here. But, you guys don’t mind it. In fact, you guys think it’s pretty awesome.  

“Welllllll...” Hannah teases, making Sarah almost choke on her food, and yours and Michelle’s eyes to widen. 

Daniel snorts, though, and Hannah starts laughing.

“She’s joking, she’s joking!” Daniel exclaims. Sarah toughly swallows her food. “Jesus...” She mutters, cracking a smile, along with you and Michelle.

“All joking aside, though, we are inviting, like, half of the eighth grade.” Hannah says. Michelle comments “nice” and you just think about how weird and amazing that is.

“ _And_ a couple seventh graders.” Daniel pitches in, causing Sarah to groan. She has this whole thing about how everyone younger then you guys are “dorks” and “basically trash.” You simply roll your eyes, smiling. 

“Hey, they’re gonna be cool ones!” Hannah protests. 

“Yeah, like Joey!” Daniel says, trying to sooth Sarah’s ridiculous questioning.

“I _guess_ Joey’s cool...” Sarah sighs. Both Hannah and Daniel tell her to not worry, and that they’ll have the perfect guest list. 

_Is it really necessary to be so concerned about this party, especially the guest list?_

For a second, you feel kinda guilty for your thought. You only feel that way because you’ve never really even _had_ a birthday party to worry about, nonetheless a guest list. Plus, you trust Hannah and Daniel’s judgement. They’re pretty fashionable, and seem to always make good choices.

Which reminds you...

“So, which one of you _brats_ had the brilliant idea to force me onto the volleyball team?” You had completely forgotten about it this morning and last night, since Hannah and Michelle never got the chance to text you back. You had only remembered because Ms. Lobry just had to remind you in the hall to not forget that practice ends at 5:00 p.m. Thank god you have gym clothes.

You texted Mom once you got the chance, quickly summarising how you’re now on the volleyball team and you were going to the practices now. You felt super bad about just basically springing this on her, but she seemed to be okay with it. In fact, she was actually quite proud of you.

Huh.

“Uhhhhhhh...” Both Hannah and Michelle say nothing, nervously exchanging quick glances between each other. Daniel and Sarah give them both looks that clearly say “you both are _so_ screwed.” 

Then, Sarah looks past you, something (or _someone_ ) catching her eye, and a smirk appears on her face. 

“Don’t look now, but Mr. Puppy Dog Eyes is looking your way, Molly.” She slyly says.

“Hm?” You hum and turn around, looking towards where you believe Sarah was looking, who immediately asks “did you _not_ hear what I just said?” 

_Oh._ That’s _what she meant._

You lock eyes with Finn, who was, definitely, staring at you. He’s sitting next to Leo and Caleb and a couple other guys you recognise from your classes. Caleb notices what’s going on and says something, which you can’t hear, to Finn, and he laughs and pushes Caleb, looking away from you. 

A small pang of worry hits you right in your chest as you imagine Caleb having said some mean joke about you.  

But, that concern goes away when Finn stands up and starts walking over to your table.

“Oh, sh-“ You cut yourself off and turn around, back to your friends.  

“Hey, I _told_ you to not look.” Sarah tells you, raising her hands up in her defence and causing you to softly glare at her. 

“Wait, I didn’t get to yell at you guys!” You look at Hannah and Michelle, then Sarah, silently blaming (kind of) her for interrupting you. 

“Well, that’ll have to wait, cause...” Michelle trails off, and you hear the grass right behind you being crunched. 

“Hey.” 

You turn around and look up a bit at Finn.

“Oh, hey!” You greet him, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.  

“Hey, guys.” He greets your friends, who all exclaim their “hi”’s and “hello”’s to him, with Sarah replying with, “Oh, hey, Finn, didn’t see ya there.” 

“What’s up?” You ask him.

“Well, not that I didn’t not want to come over here, but what’s up is my friends forcing me to get up and walk over to you.” He explains, smiling handsomely. 

Or, uh, handsomely as in largely.

“Oh, really? I can totally relate.” You look behind you at your friends, shooting them daggers with your eyes. 

“Uhhh... whoops!” Daniel exclaims, lifting the volleyball that was right next to him and _just about throwing_ _it_ _behind him_. It slowly begins to roll away. “Oh no, I better go get that! Hannah, you should help me!”

His acting is absolutely horrible and obvious.

“Sure thing.” Hannah says. The two of them stand up, fucking _wink_ at you (was that a twin thing!?), and walk away.

“We should probably go make sure they... get the ball.” Michelle says, standing up and grabbing Sarah.

“Yep.” Sarah agrees before her and Michelle walk away and join up with Hannah and Daniel. 

“See what I mean?” You snort, turning back to Finn. 

“Exactly.” He answers. “Wanna walk over to the court with me? We can wait for you friends to get back from... whatever it is that they’re doing.” 

“Yeah, sure.” You shrug and stand up. 

“Oh, wait!” Finn suddenly exclaims. “You didn’t even eat your lunch!” You look back at the table. It’s true. You had taken out all your food, but you hadn’t even touched any of it.

“Eh, I’m not that hungry.” That was also true. You could barely eat that single banana for breakfast (Mom wasn’t about to let you leave without eating anything). Ever since that dream last night...

You can’t shake off some sort of... _off_ feeling.

“Okay, but don’t beat me up later for starving you.” Finn tells you as the two of you begin to walk away.  

“Puh-lease!” You scoff. “As if I would beat you up! I’d just loudly scream at you!!” The two of you laugh.  

“So, what’s up with you going on to the court? I’ve never seen you there before.” You say once you two have stopped laughing.  

“I’m actually going to get up and play basketball.” He proudly smiles.

“You play basketball?” You didn’t know that about him. You’ve never really seen him playing sports. 

“Yep. Or, I try to. I really like playing it. I’m even thinking about trying out for the team.”  

“Really? That’s pretty cool. I’m sure you’ll make the team.” You smile back at him, complimenting him without a second thought. 

But not cause you like him, like, _like_ like him. Just cause you wanna be nice to him since he’s your friend.

_Just_ your friend. 

“Why practice today?” You ask him once you two are standing right next to the court. You lean against the chain link fence the surrounds two parallel sides of the court (it helps prevent balls from rolling away). 

“I can’t really help it.” Finn shrugs. “It’s a beautiful day outside.”  

_... what?_

“Wait...” You take a breath, suddenly realising how you had stopped breathing since it felt like you got the fucking wind knocked out of you. “W-what did just say?” 

Finn confusedly stares at you, knowing you had perfectly heard what he just said, but repeats himself nonetheless.

“I said, ‘it’s a beautiful day outside.’”

_“I said, ‘it’s a beautiful day outside.’”_  Finn’s voice echos in your head. You suddenly feel sick. 

_“it’s a beautiful day outside.”_ The sentence repeats again.

But it wasn’t said by Finn this time. 

The voice was much deeper, more baritone, more mature, calm, but eerily so. 

Sans. 

_“it’s a beautiful day outside.”_ Your vision flashes white.

Then everything changes.

You’re not outside anymore with Finn. You’re inside somewhere, _the golden hall_ , and Sans is in front of you, just like he was in your dream. However, now, his eyes are closed. You noticed how... how _forced_ his smile looks. 

You also notice how fucking _tired_ you feel. And how _angry_ you feel, but why? Why are you angry? There’s nothing to be angry about! And you notice a weight in your hand, an incredibly heavy weight in your weak, right hand, but you can’t look down.

Your vision begins to flash back and forth, between reality and imagination. 

_“birds are singing, flowers are blooming.”_ Sans continues talking. _“on days like these, kids like you...”_

He opens his eyes.

They’re empty.

Vacant.

Voids. 

Hateful.

They unnerve you.

_“ **s h o u l d  b e  b u r n i n g  i n  h e l l**.”_

He spoke slowly, his voice full of rage. Besides the animosity, you recognised his tone from the time you and him were at that restaurant in the Underground, the MTT one.

He had told you that if he hadn’t made a promise to Mom about protecting you, “you’d be dead where you stand.” 

You feel like the sentence should’ve sent shivers down your spine, but you only feel like laughing, laughing at him.

_He thinks he can scare me?_

You want to laugh, but you feel so guilty, so, _so_ , guilty, why do you feel _so_ _fucking_ _guilty_?

_Pathetic._

“ _Molly_.” Finn calls your name, and your eyes immediately meet his. He looks worried, and it occurs to you that he said your name twice before, _why didn’t you hear him before?_  

It also occurs to you that you crossed your arms, and are holding onto them tightly, _too_ tightly. You feel your nails dig into your skin, almost breaking it. You immediately let go of your arms, uncrossing them, and awkwardly placing them next to your sides. 

Your breaths are shallow, mainly because you feel so out of breath even though you’re _just standing there_ , and you’re trying not to gasp for air. 

“Molly, are you okay?” Finn asks you, obviously concerned. Then he stands up a little straighter. “Where’d you go just now?” 

“I...” Your words catch in your throat.

Where _had_ you gone just now? 

_That... that was probably a part of my dream that I forgot about when I woke up._ _Yeah, yeah that makes sense. I’ve done that before._  

Then why can’t you tell Finn the truth? 

“I just remembered that we have that math test tomorrow.” You finally say, nervously smiling. “Totally gonna bomb it.” Finn looks at you for another second, but then, he lets it go.

“Pfffft, yeah right!” He exclaims, pushing your shoulder softly. “With our luck, you’re gonna ace it, and I’m gonna be the one who fails it!”  

“Yeah, okay.” You roll your eyes, laughing slightly and nervously. 

“Heads up!”

You turn to your right, hearing a voice yell (you recognise it as Hannah, so it was probably to you).  

The volleyball is about to hit you in the face.

It was thrown upward, forming an upside “U” shape (like a parabola), so, reflexively, you set the ball, and it silently went straight up into the air.  

You felt a couple pairs of eyes on you as you, completely surprised by your own reflexes, caught the ball when it fell back down. Then, you looked straight in front of you at your four friends.

“What the hell’s the big idea, huh?! You guys wanna see me get _hurt_?” You yell at them. 

“Had to get your attention somehow.” Daniel says nonchalantly, waking up to you. “You know, from your little da-“ 

“Shut up, Daniel.” You interrupt him. He feigns being hurt, putting a hand on his chest, where his heart is, and you smile and roll your eyes at him. Finn laughs and walks away to the game of basketball, saying he’ll talk to you all later. 

“Yeah, but we weren’t expecting you to do _that_ , though.” Michelle says next. “Now I _know_ it was a good idea that Hannah and I got.. you... ” She trails off, noticing you looking at her and Hannah, judging them silently.

“I knew it! Can’t believe you two dragged me into this mess.” You scoff.

“Hey, at least we get to spend more time together, riiiiiiiight?” Michelle asks you as you all begin to walk towards the net.

“Michelle?” 

“Hm?” 

“At practice today, I’m _so_ going to spike you in the face.”

 

 

***

  

 

“hey, kid, how was practice?” 

“Ughhhhhhhhhh...” You groan loudly. 

To put your state in words: you’re fucking _exhausted_. 

First, Coach Lobry just _had_ to introduce you to everyone, saying how you’re new and all (obviously). Most of the girls just smiled at or seemed okay with you, but some of them just rolled their eyes or glared at you ( _those_ are some of the girls your friends _fucking hate_ ). 

Next, she made everyone run seven minutes without stopping, which was a surprise. Then, you had to do planks _and_ push-ups. Somehow, you never stopped. After that, you were allowed to get into groups and pass a volleyball around for about twenty minutes. You, Michelle, and three other girls from the varsity team (Violet, Wynn, and Janie) got into a group and passed the ball. It was pretty fun.

That is, until you all scrimmaged. 

It was, to say the least, completely nerve-wracking and anxiety inducing. 

But, you did it.

And you did it pretty well.

Since Michelle had previously taught you the basics, you already knew how to properly play. So, you did the best you could, and, most of the girls (including the bitches) were actually impressed, along with Coach Lobry, and the assistant coach, Coach Plat. After that, everyone went through a few more games, then some drills and more practice, and it was over. Everyone went to the locker room, took showers, and got their things together. 

All in all, you actually had a pretty good time.  

Oh, yeah, except for your knees and calves hurting like hell.

“i’ll take that as a ‘super fun.’” Sans chuckles. You ruefully smile at him, adjusting your semi-wet, high ponytail. 

“I mean, yeah, it was fun, but ughhhhhhh.” You groan again. “Exercising.” 

“you should just be lazybones like me, pal. it’s a lot nicer.” Sans jokes, and you laugh. The two of you begin to slowly walk away from the school whilst talking.

“I wish it were that easy.” You sigh. 

“what made you do this again?” Sans quirks an eyebone at you.

“My friends signed me up for it behind my back.”

“... good friends ya got there, kid.”  

“They did it out of love!” You immediately exclaim, softly punching Sans in his shoulder. It is true, how Michelle and Hannah did this out of love. Michelle explained how she and Hannah just want you to show off your skills and not hide them or whatever. 

“whatever you say. hey, wanna go to grillby’s?”  

“Sans, it’s five o’clock. Mom probably wouldn’t be too happy with me eating before dinner.” You wearily tell him. 

“eh.” He simply shrugs in response. “your mom won’t kill ya for _goatin’_ to have a few fries.” He winks at you, and you laugh. 

“I mean, I _guess_... but if I get in trouble, I’m pointing all the blame on you.” Sans just shrugs again.

“sounds fair.” The two of you stop walking on the sidewalk and turn towards each other. You notice how there’s not really anyone around, and even if there was and they saw what was about to happen, you don’t even care. By now, you think that humans should be used to magic actually being real. 

“ready?” Sans asks you, your book bag and gym bag softly glowing cyan before disappearing, presumably then appearing in your house. He holds out his hand to you and you smile. 

“Of course.” You grab his hand without a second thought and close your eyes.

Then, it feels like your feet leave the ground. There’s a rush of wind and, before you know it, you’re back on land, and the previous quietness is replaced by a soft loudness.  

You open your eyes.

You’re standing in front of Grillby’s with Sans in the city.  

You have teleported many times after meeting Sans. You’re actually almost used to the feeling by now. You barely even feel like vomiting! 

Sans lets go of your hand, walking up and opening the door. You follow him,  softly saying under your breath, “I love doing that.”  

Grillby’s is practically identical to how it used to be, aside for the space being slightly bigger. All the seats are in the same spots, the colours and lights and atmosphere are all the same, even the people inside it are all the same, except for a couple new customers, both humans and monsters alike. All the regulars greet you and Sans as the two of you want up to the bar, sitting down on two stools.

You absolutely adore Grillby’s. The place, you believe, will always make you feel calm, warm (haha, Sans would be proud), and, for some reason, safe. 

Grillby walks out of the kitchen and, from behind the bar, up to you and Sans. 

“hey, grillbz.” Sans says casually, propping one elbow against the counter as you say, “Hi, Grillby!”  

“How are my two favourite customers?” Grillby asks, his voice deep and soft, almost like the crackle of a fire. Once you started visiting Grillby’s more and more, you came to realise that Grillby isn’t mute or anything like that, he’s just pretty quiet. 

“Good.” You tell him, brightly smiling as Sans just shrugs, lazily smiling, too. “How are you?” 

“The same.” Grillby replies. “The usual?” 

“yep.” Before Grillby walks away, Sans quickly adds, “oh, and, grillby, anyone tell ya that you’re lookin’ pretty _hot_ today?” Sans winks, and you snort, containing your laughter.

Grillby silently looks at Sans before saying, “Molly is my only favourite customer now.” Then, he walks away from you laughing into your hand, and Sans pretending to look offended, yet smiling proudly. 

Once you’ve stopped laughing, you become nervously quiet. When you had found out that Sans would be the one picking you up today, you thought that maybe you could talk to him about your dream. But, you’re really worried that he’s going to ask you about what was in the dream.  

You don’t want to tell Sans how you had dreamed of... of quite possibly _hurting_ Asgore and _wanting_ to hurt him, too. 

However, at the same time, you would hate to lie to Sans. Though, perhaps you don’t have to particularly _lie_ to Sans. You could just somewhat summarise/describe the dream without giving away any specific details. 

That wouldn’t be classified as lying, right?

“Hey, Sans, can I talk to you about something?”

“you just did, kid.” 

“Huh?” You think about what you just said, and after a beat, you realise what he means. You lightly scoff at Sans, telling him, “I’m taking that as a yes.”

“Okay, so, uh...” Wait, how were you even going to start off this conversation?? 

“Do you ever have super vivid dreams?” 

“huh?” You catch Sans’ attention, and he turns towards you. “whaddya mean?”

“Like... you know that your dream is a dream, and you know that what’s happening never happened before, but i-i-it... kinda feels like it has happened before?” _Oof_. You don’t feel like you just explained that very well. But, Sans seems to get what you’re trying to say.

“can’t say i’ve had those kinds of dreams, bud. sorry.”

“Hmph.” You softly grunt in disappointment. Maybe you’re just overthinking your dream.  

Nevertheless, you continue speaking.

“What about repressed memories? I read this book, once, where this girl and her mom had been robbed, then she got sick and didn’t remember anything. And then, years later, she had gotten into a fight with her friend, and she didn’t really remember it. Well, she ended up remembering it, but that was, like, _years_ after the fight.” 

“well, kid, what was your dream about?”

Great, the one question you _didn’t_ want him to ask you.

“Just...” You look away from Sans for a moment, staring at the smooth counter. “... stuff I know that _never_ happened.” Determination and confidence burn in your eyes.

There’s a pause before Sans responds.

“welp, there’s your answer, then. if you’re so sure about it never happening, then you’re probably right. i think you’re overthinking this a skele- _ton_ , kid.” Sans reaches over and ruffles your hair. The corners of your mouth quirk up, the smile being brought back on you face as you fix your hair and sigh.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Just as you say that, Grillby brings a basket of fries for you and Sans.

  

 

***

 

 

_Let’s hope I don’t have any crazy dreams tonight_ , you think as you tidy up your room before going to bed.

After your talk with Sans, and a little more thought after eating dinner with Mom and talking to her about your dream inquiries, _and_ doing your homework and some research online, you’ve come to the conclusion that Sans and Mom (who basically said the same thing) are right. It was just some weirdass dream and you’re overthinking it, like usual. 

You obviously know that you would never harm, nor want to cause harm to your friends, your _family_ , for Christ’s sake. 

Before getting into bed, you look at the picture of you and your family that you have pinned against the wall above your desk, right in front of your bed.

“... yeah.” You quietly say to yourself. “I’m just overthinking things.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, fucking finally! I actually updated less than a month after my last update. And, yes, barely less than a month, but I’ll fucking take it! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> P.S. The book referenced is one of the Pretty Little Liars books, I don’t remember which one. God, I fucking love that series, both the books and the show.


	28. Cold and a Cough Can Go FU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You hate being sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy. Hope you had a good holiday or celebration or whatever it is you did. Happy almost New Year!!!
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

 “But, Mom,” You protest Toriel, your voice small, weak, and breaking, “I have to go to school! I have that math test today, and I’m supposed to go with you and Asgore for the m-“ 

You cut yourself off, coughing roughly. As you put your face in your elbow, you clutch your stomach. After a few more seconds, your fit is over. 

“My child, listen to yourself! You are in no state to go to school, and if you miss one meeting, it will not be the end of the world.” Mom places her hand gingerly on your forehead for a moment. “Just as I thought. You have a fever.” 

You open your mouth to protest once more, but Mom immediately stops you, knowing you all too well. 

“No buts! You need to stay home and rest, which includes preserving your voice.” 

You sigh and stare at the ground. You know she’s right, but you absolutely hate having to miss school and ambassador responsibilities, no matter how boring sometimes. 

“I know it’s not any fun to be sick, dear, but look on the bright side! As horrible as it is to say due to these circumstances, you need a break.”

It’s true, and you know it. You’ve been pushing your limits lately, staying up way late for homework that you missed, participating in ambassador meetings, doing paperwork for them and traveling. Your breaking point has been getting closer and closer, and it looks like it just arrived through the form of crushing your immune system. 

“It’s too late for me to ask for a substitute, so I’ll have the brothers come by and make sure that you’re alright while I’m gone,” Mom continues talking as she leaves the room for a moment. She comes back with two thick blankets in her arms. She shifts them into one arm and gently guides you with her free hand to the couch in the living room. 

You sit down on the dark couch, and Mom lays the blanket around your shoulders. You give her a small, grateful smile. 

“Papyrus could make you soup, _from_ _the can_ ,” Mom tells you. You smile widens at her joking nature. “If you need anything, do not hesitate to text me or anyone else. I will pick you up some medicine on my way back home. Goodbye, my child.” She kisses you on the top of your head before walking away, grabbing her bag and leaving. You hear the lock to the front door click.

You exhale exasperatedly, gripping onto the blankets with one hand and grabbing the TV remote with the other. You wish you had the same immunity system as monsters. Theirs are strong, rarely every breaking. 

Damn, why are humans so weak?

You finally turn on Netflix and pick _Friends_ , continuing almost halfway through season five, on the episode, “The One with Ross’s Sandwich.” In your head, you silently laugh, having automatically thought, “ _Sans-_ wich.” 

The show begins, and you lay down on your left side. Soon enough, your eyes slowly close, and your mind retreats into its own imagination.

Which is apparently nothing.

It feels as if you blink and open your eyes, but you’re now two episodes more in to _Friends_ , so you know time has gone by. Everything feels hazy and foggy, like you can’t focus on anything. It feels like you’re dreaming.

Suddenly, you hear a small crash in the kitchen, as if a drawer closed too fast and the contents inside it bounced around. 

You stand up, curiosity giving you just enough energy to allow you to move about. You keep the blankets around you as you walk. 

You go into the kitchen and look around. Oddly enough, there’s something in there.

Well, _someone_.

They have short, light brown hair, light skin, and are wearing a green and red-striped sweater with tan shorts and black boots. They’re looking through the drawers and the cabinets, as if trying to find something, and a whisper runs through your head.

_“Where are the knives?”_

You shiver as the person turns around. They have freckles scattered on their cheeks, and their eyes...

They’re _brown_.

Why does that stand out to you?

“Hi,” the person says to you. They take a step towards you, and you see little lines of red trailing their figure. You blink twice. There’s a notepad and a pen on the counter next to you, and, listening to Mom, you grab and use it.

_Is this a dream?_

Writing that felt way too real, so you cross out dream and write hallucination under it. Then, you turn the note pad towards the person. They giggle, their laugh shrill and almost mocking.

“This can be whatever you want it to be, Molly!” They begin to slowly walk around. “A hallucination, a dream... _reality_.” 

_Do I know you?_

They stop moving, turning their head the slightest bit to the right.

“You don’t remember me? After all we went through? Tsk, I’m disappointed in you, partner,” they scold you. 

_Partner?_

“We worked together! We must've been the best team in the whole world!” They twirl in place, laughing again. “That’s why I came to you!” 

_You came here? For me?_

“Yeah! I trust you the most I’ve ever trusted anyone! And, I need your help!” They explain. “Do you think you could help me?” 

This all seems so... _off_ to you. It’s like everything’s backwards. 

But it’s a dream, so how much harm could it do?

_Yes._

“Oh, I knew you’d come through for me, partner!” 

You blink and they’re in front of you, your noses almost touching. 

“You were always there for me.” 

The pen and note pad slip from your hands. 

You blink. 

You’re back on the couch.

Everyone is at Phoebe’s grandfather’s funeral on _Friends_ , you notice. You turn your body, laying on your back and staring up at the ceiling. 

Wait, what did you just dream about?

“HUMAN, SANS AND I ARE HERE TO CURE YOUR SICKNESS!” Papyrus exclaims, opening the door. His loud voice hurts your ears and your head, but it’s familiar and it makes you happy, so you don’t mind the pain. 

“hey, kid,” Sans says, him and Papyrus walking into the living room as you sit up. “tori told us that you’re feeling bad... _bad to the bone_!” He chuckles, sitting down on the edge of the couch next to your legs. You smile and roll your eyes as Papyrus sighs.

“SANS, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ON THE WAY HERE!” Sans laughs harder and your smile grows. 

With the skeleton brothers here, you no longer feel unsafe.

No one noticed the ripped piece of used paper in the trash, nor that the notepad and pen were moved to the table in the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the twenty-eighth chapter of I’m Drowning! 
> 
> Sorry that this chapter was so short, but yeah, the next couple ones are gonna be pretty short for specific reasons that you will soon find out!!!
> 
> Btw just played Night In The Woods. Go play that shit or watch someone play that shit, it effed me up real goddamn good.


	29. Hannah and Daniel’s Birthday Bash!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and some friends have a good time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy. Not dead, just a bit busy cuz of school, but things are starting to slow down (even tho exams are soon haha yaaaay). But I’ll never be gone for more than two months.
> 
> So. I have something to talk about.
> 
> I just started a Patreon. 
> 
> Yes. I know I’m not famous (duh) and what I do is not very important, but it will not only help my current situation, but it will help me feel more motivated! And maybe, I could get to a point where I could really focus on writing, you know? 
> 
> Please know that I’m not trying to take anyone’s money because duh that’s bad. I don’t even know if I’ll ever even get one patreon. If you don’t care, you shouldn't and that’s the truth. We’re all entitled to our own opinions. You can read this fic just cuz you like it or cuz you like both me and it.
> 
> I appreciate and am grateful for each and every one of you either way.
> 
> Thank you, and I’ll see you soon.
> 
>  
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

“Heeeeeeeey.”

“Heeeeeeeey.”

“Heeeeeey.” 

You and the twins greet each other as you walk into their house. It’s pretty big, given that both their parents are doctors. 

Which is the  _perfect_ amount of space for a birthday party.

“So, where are all the decorations?” You ask the siblings, shoving your hands into the kangaroo pocket of your pink sweatshirt. 

“There all in the living room. C’mon,” Daniel says. You follow Hannah and Daniel, looking around their house. You’ve only been twice before, so you’re not really used to the size of the house. There’s five bedrooms, four bathrooms, two stories, a huge backyard and a pool. Both their parents are doctors, and they have two sisters who are pretty Instagram famous. Hannah and Daniel are basically destined to become something awesome.

“So why am I helping you two again?” You joke, scanning through the decorations in the white boxes on the perfect glass coffee table. You’re almost scared to be near it in fear of breaking it.

“‘Cause you’re the only one we knew would say ‘yes,’” Hannah responds, picking up some empty balloons. 

“Oof, are you saying I let people walk over me?” You ask, glaring slightly. 

“I think she just means that you’re basically the mom of the group,” Daniel defends.

“The mom...” You slowly say. 

“Yeah,” Hannah says, “you’re the most responsible one. That’s literally why you’re the ambassador and everything.” She passes you a string of gold tassel garland. “This’ll probably be the hardest to put up, so let’s just get it over with.” 

You hold on to it as you all decide on spots to start putting up the garland.

“Makes sense, I guess,” You shrug. “What would you guys’ve done if I had said ‘no?’” You grab another thing of the garland.

“Annoyed you until you said ‘yes,’ duh,” Daniel answers. You snort and shake your head. After a couple of minutes, the three of you have put enough garland up on the walls. 

“Let’s do the confetti next,” Hannah suggests as you all walk back over to the boxes.

“Are we just gonna throw it around the house?” You ask, grabbing a container of the little, golden star-shaped pieces of paper.

“Yup,” Daniel says, doing the same.

“You guys are gonna hate cleaning this up. And when I say ‘you guys,’ I mean ‘you guys,’ ‘cause I’m helping you decorate, so that should mean I don’t have to help you clean up.”

“Fair enough.” Hannah shrugs. “And cleaning this up is gonna be easy. We can just vacuum everywhere.” As she talks, she throws some of the confetti on the ground and on some of a seat.

“You’re just gonna vacuum the whole house?” You ask, raising an eyebrow at the both of them.

“Basically.” Daniel says, smiling. 

“Pffffft. That’s so weird and kinda efficient at the same time,” You laugh out. 

“Whatever works,” Hannah comments, and the three of you laugh as you all throw confetti everywhere.

 

 

***

 

 

“Okay, I know you were joking, but did you actually invite half the school?” Sarah asks Hannah and Daniel, the three of them, Michelle, and you standing next to each other next to the wall in the living room. Sarah speaks a little louder than usual due to the loud music and many voices.

“Well, we do, like, know some other people at other schools,” Daniel answers, “so we invited some of them, too.” 

There must have been almost 150 people at the house. This is definitely the biggest party you’ve ever gone to, second to only the monster ball.

“I thought I saw people I didn’t know. I just figured I’d never noticed them or something,” Michelle says.

“Same,” you agree with her. 

“Nice party, guys.” Finn and two of his friends walk up to you all. 

“Thanks,” Hannah and Daniel say in unison. 

“Hey,” Finn greets Sarah and Michelle, who both say “hey” back. “Hey, Molly.” 

“Hey, Finn,” You reply, also greeting Finn’s friends, Ike and Lucas.

Finn and them then move away to another group, Finn flashing you a quick smile before going away.

“Ooooo, Molly, get it,” Sarah says, elbowing you in the side. 

“Haha wow you’re so funny,” You sarcastically say to her, the group smiling. “You do know that we’re in, like, eighth grade, right?”

“It’s never to early to set you up with the love of your life,” Hannah tells you. 

“I’d rather just be friends, thank you.”

“Okay, okay, but when high school comes around, which is really soon, you never know what might happen,” Daniel says. 

“Oh, hey, I think it’s time to get the cake out,” Hannah tells Daniel, having seen the time on her phone. 

“Oh, right. C’mon, help us bring it out here,” Daniel tells the three of you. You all make your way to the kitchen while Daniel’s words repeat in your head. 

_You never know what might happen._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the 29th chapter of I’m Drowning! Hope you liked it! I definitely can’t wait to write the next chapter!!
> 
> I can’t believe that not only are we almost at 1000 hits, but we are almost at our 1 year anniversary! I love all of you so much!
> 
> Thank you for everything! You all and this story have changed my life in so many great ways!!!


	30. And I Still Miss You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You visit someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!!! CONFETTI!!! CONFETTI!!!!!
> 
> Wow, one hear, huh? I’m so happy. We hit 1000 fucking hits, which I am so grateful for. Words cannot express how much this story has changed and helped my life.
> 
> And I hope that it did that for you, too. Whoever’s out there reading this or who constantly reads this or waits for an update.
> 
> Thank you. I wouldn’t be here without you, without any of you.
> 
> [Become a Patron!](https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=18321114)

There is no wind in the air as you walk. The air is still, as if time is frozen.

As if some unearthly presence knows what you are doing.

The city is still as loud and busy as ever. There are people everywhere, all of their faces a blur to you. Are you even looking at their faces? Probably. 

Maybe everything is just a blur to you currently.

The sound of grass crunching beneath your feet seems to somewhat snap you out of your daze. Your mind had wandered off as you made your way to your destination. Despite all of the sound, in the area you were in now, that was all distant.

Everything is now quiet. 

The stones around you hold something important, and you know which one is important to you. Having done this before, you make your way without hesitance.

The single rose in your hand feels heavy suddenly even though it is probably barely three ounces. 

You notice that the sun is out, and it doesn’t seem like there is a cloud in the sky. It’s a beautiful day.

How... inappropriate.

You stop in front of the stone, _his_ stone, _your_ stone, the one with three single roses on it already, almost awaiting the one in your hand.

You take a deep breath and look around. There’s no one close to you, just a woman a few feet away and a man even further away. They are probably busy with their own memories, just like you.

“Hi, Toby,” you finally say.

It feels good to say his name.

“It’s me. Obviously. Um...” _God, there are so many things I want to say._ “There are so many things I want to tell you.”

You mentally facepalm.

“So, uh... I’m talking. It took a while to get here, but, I did. I think you’d be proud of me. But, um, now I’m thinking that that sounded conceited and then you would probably tell me that you are proud of me, haha.”

_Oh my god, stop fucking this up!_

“I... hope I’m not messing this up... ha... ugh.”

You sit down on the grass cross-legged, not even bothering to think of the possible insects that could crawl on you.

“Okay, so, obviously I didn’t plan on what to say. I mean, c’mon, that would’ve been way too formal and dumb, right?”

No one responds.

What were you expecting?

“So... a lot of things have changed. When I went hiking up Mt. Ebbot last year, I fell into it. I met all these people called monsters, but, uh, they’re not actual monsters. I mean, they are, but they’re not, like, _monsters_ monsters, they’re nice but their race is technically monsters.” You pause. He’s not even here and yet you can feel the stare of possible judgement. You clear your throat.

“Anyway. I made this whole journey throughout the Underground, which is what that area under Mt. Ebbot was called, and, long story short, I freed the monsters. Technically. So they made me ambassador which I think I’m actually pretty good at. I mean, it’s a lot of responsibility, and sometimes I feel like it’s too much, and then I think that I’m just weak and shouldn’t be handling that job because I’m... a... haha. I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

You take another breath. Maybe you should focus on breathing? For, like, a while?

No, you don’t have time because that would probably take a while. And Mom might get suspicious of where you really are if you are out for too long. You hated lying to her, but it’s not like you could tell her the truth...

Right?

You already lied to her about everything once, and now you’re doing it again. And you’ll probably do it again soon because now you’re going to be caught in a web of lies!

_Good job, Molly._

You hear footsteps behind you. Turning around, you see a pair of two men walking past you and to another plot. 

How long have you been silent for?

“And, uh, this woman I met down there, Toriel. She, uh... adopted me...?” _Yeah, yeah, talk about Mom._ “Now I live with her. Above ground, of course.” How else would you be there if you weren’t above ground?! “She’s... really nice. And caring. And protective and smart and... loves me. I love her, too. I even call her ‘Mom’ now.”

You smile at that thought, of you calling Toriel “Mom.”

“So, there’s Mom, who is the ex-queen of the Underground, then there’s Sans and Papyrus. They’re brothers. Papyrus is tall and loud and loves puzzles. He’s a sweetheart and super friendly and loves cooking. Sans is short and makes these dumb jokes all the time that Papyrus hates but secretly loves, and that I think are hilarious. Then there’s Undyne and Alphys. They’re dating and they’re super cute. Undyne used to be head of the royal guard in the Underground. She’s tall and strong and funny and loves anime. Alphys does, too. She used to be the royal scientist. She’s super smart and awkward, like me, haha, and always tries to do what’s best. Then there’s Asgore, who used to be, and is still technically but not really, the king. He’s strong and tall and really nice. And then there’s Mettaton, and so many others that I would tell you about but then I would be here all day.”

You stare at the stone. You hear a woman weeping.

“You know what they all have in common? They all care. They all love me for who I am. And I love and care for all of them, too. But sometimes... it’s really scary. All of those feelings. I keep on thinking that I’m gonna fu- screw things up and somehow they’ll all end up hating me. Or they’ll end up like y-“

You close your mouth. Were you really about to say that? Why would you say that? 

Why would you say a bitchy thing like that, why would you even think of that?!

The stone becomes a grey blur.

“I... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just... I just meant, um...” You rub your eyes. The stone comes back into focus. “I don’t want to lose them. I don’t want to go through all of that. Not again. Never again. If I did... I don’t know what I would do. I just don’t.”

You lean a bit and place the red rose next to the other ones.

“I hope you’re in a better place, Toby. Even though I wish you were here with me, and I still miss you everyday... I hope that wherever you are, it’s better than before.”

You stand up and glance at the other gravestones next to Toby’s. 

The two on the left read: _Valencia Bren_ and  _Geoffrey Bren_. The one on the right reads: _Victoria Bren._

Your eyes go down at the ground in guilt and shame. 

“Bye, Toby. I love you.”

The woman’s cries echo throughout the cemetery as you leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the thirtieth chapter of I’m Drowning! Holy shit, when did we get to thirty?! 
> 
> Ha, I don’t know, but I do know is that I’m really happy right now. Like, I literally just laughed to myself about how kinda crazy that is.
> 
> I love you and I’ll talk to you soon.


End file.
